Here for your consideration are two brand new steampunk romances, plus a “classic” from 2010. Enjoy. Kiss of Steel (M) by Bec McMaster “Left without resources and protection when her scientist father is murdered, research assistant Honoria Todd flees her respectable life among the highborn Echelon and the diabolical blue-blood villain Vickers and goes to ground with her younger sister and brother at the shadowy edges of White-chapel. But nothing in the rookery goes unnoticed by Blade, and when the rogue blue-blood “Devil of Whitechapel” learns his old enemy Vickers has put a price on Honoria’s head, he wants to know why-and will stop at nothing to earn her trust and learn her dangerous, closely guarded secrets. VERDICT Dark, intense, and sexy, this mesmerizing debut takes readers into a grim, depraved, cleverly crafted Victorian steampunk world that is both familiar and strange and launches a stunning new series with an intriguing twist on the vampire theme.” Library Journal A Lady Can Never Be Too Curious (M) by Mary Wine “Steamy sexual tension and secret societies fuse together in Wine’s electrifying first steampunk romance. Janette Aston is fascinated by all things scientific, and couldn’t care less that her thirst for knowledge is regarded as unladylike by Victorian society. Enthralled by the Illuminists, a group of individuals committed to scientific discovery, she sneaks into their headquarters and is caught by Darius Lawley, an Illuminist Guardian. The attraction between the two is instant and magnetic. When the Illuminists realize Janette is a rare Pure Spirit who can harness the power of crystals, she’s targeted by a rival society, the Helikeians. It’s up to Darius to protect her for the sake of science and love. The pages spark with manners and mayhem. Wine (Unexpected Pleasures) has created a world readers will want to return to, especially after a conclusion that leaves many questions unanswered.” Publisher’s Weekly Steamed: a steampunk romance (M) by Katie MacAlister
*Starred Review* Captain Octavia Pye is surprised to find an unconscious, oddly-dressed man and an equally unusually clad woman aboard her airship. There’s evil afoot in her world, and Octavia wonders if these two are pirates or secret agents. After an explosion in his lab, Dr. Jack Fletcher is shocked to wake up beside his sister in a Victorian airship, complete with a no-nonsense captain and crew, all of whom are outfitted in late nineteenth-century fashion. Jack thinks he has gone back in time; instead he’s astounded to learn that it’s the same day as the explosion. Caught in a parallel universe where technology is still at the steam engine stage, Jack finds himself pulled between a longing for home and an increasingly stronger desire for the intrepid Octavia. MacAlister hits it out of the park with this highly entertaining steampunk fantasy. There’s danger, adventure, romance, and lots of humorous moments as Jack and Octavia discover that the laws of love always trump the laws of physics.” – Library Journal
