Catching her is only the beginning.Being a Maori cat-burglar in a corset isn’t easy for Beatrice. When she gets caught red-handed, pilfering from famous steam-car racer Lord Alexander, she’s sure she’s in for it. But instead of turning Beatrice over to the bobbies, Alexander offers her a job: recovering a stolen blueprint of a boiler from his rival racer, Lord William.Soon Beatrice wonders if her … Beatrice wonders if her steam-powered gadgets and street smarts will keep her alive long enough to find the darn blueprint. And the worst part? She can’t deny her attraction for Alexander.
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This was my first time reading anything by Barbara Russell, and what a wonderful treat it was! A sweet (clean) romance, paired with non-stop action and a beautifully written plot with superb world-building! Steampunk is so often tied to horror, which I only enjoy in small doses. Not so with this one, and I lapped it up in one heart-stopping chapter after another!
I loved how the plot and story are woven together blending the romance and action, steampunk elements and fantasy into a seamless pace and flow that makes it impossible to put down! The characters are another great part of the story. I quickly found I loved the whole cast, and am so glad I got to know them as their story plays out.
A wonderful story my a genre-bending master, Barbara Russell nailed this one with the skilled mastery of words and beautiful author magic to make both world-building and characters fit so perfectly into the story going on around them! 5 stars!
Wonderfully written -I love how the story is woven from two points of view. Brilliant description and awesome characters with fantastic detail. The era is one I love imagining (1800s) but with a twist of modern steampunk. I will be looking to read more from this author!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.I loved this book-it was original and lovely!
Our heroine is a cat-burglar who gets caught in the act, then turned into an asset with a new assignment. This may be more of a challenge then expected.
This is a steampunk story featuring lots of action, adventure and mystery as well as a little bit of romance. I love steampunk stories and have read some of the previous one’s by this author. This one is every bit as good as the previous one and I love seeing how the world grow around me. The characters are also well developed and make you feel like to can smell the smoke and soot in the air. I loved our heroine as she is my kind of lady: smart and resourceful. The plot is detailed and well thought out with enough twists and turns to give you a crick in your neck. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and had a hard time putting it down. Overall, an excellent story and I look forward to reading more in this series.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes.
I don’t really know what I was expecting going into this story. This is the first book by this author that I have read and the first steampunk/fantasy I have read in a while. That being said I really enjoyed this story. I also loved that this was a standalone and not a big long series. Once I started reading, I didn’t want to put this book down. I was easily able to read this in a couple days.
I really enjoyed the characters and the chemistry between everyone. I loved the fact that Beatrice had a sidekick and a cyborg cat at that! I really wish I could have seen the steampunk era in person because the little contraptions that Beatrice was making sounded really cool. I liked that this story also involved racing and a bit of a murder mystery.
Beatrice was an interesting and badass character in my opinion. I love the stories where the woman are the thieves and know a ton of skills. It seemed like Alex was really impressed with her a few times and I was really glad that he was able to get used to her touch more and more.
Alex was a super interesting person as you get to know him. He had a really rough childhood and could barely stand anyone to touch him. I have never heard of someone that is so against being touched so it was kinda fascinating to read about. I felt bad for him but was really hoping that Beatrice could get him past those demons so he could enjoy her touch.
The plot of this story was a little confusing with all the characters and the secret projects but the ending left no questions. It was the prefect ending for everyone especially for Beatrice. I would definitely recommend this story especially if you like steampunk with a clean romance.
Wonderful story and very exciting. The plot does slow down a bit but it is still very good. I very much enjoyed it
Amazing, so much better than books that you can see what is coming a mile away. I had no idea what was going to happen next. This is the type of book I love to read. Beatrice is a lovely character. She may be a thief, but her heart is in the right place. She’s very smart & creative in her clockwork devices she builds. I absolutely love the smart cat Zenzer. Alexander the poor man, has been through a lot! However, Beatrice helps him overcome it. There are many layers to this book as the characters seek to uncover who is responsible for the murder of Alexander’s friend.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the 2nd book I’ve read written by Barbara Russell; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I loved the chemistry between the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
Clockwork Victoria is a charming steampunk fantasy romance. Beatrice excels at creating steam powered gadgets and using them to steal from the rich. Of course she gives what she takes to charity. But when she’s caught red handed she must make a deal to stay out of trouble. She is tasked with stealing the plans to a steamcar of a rival racer of Lord Alexander. This turns out to be much more difficult than expected and then there’s that pesky attraction to Alex…
I really enjoyed this book! It’s well paced throughout and the mystery is intriguing. I enjoyed the descriptions of the clockwork devices which were quite technical. The romance is sweet and I enjoyed the development of feelings between Beatrice and Alex as they work together and learn about each other. And then there’s the crazy smart cat, Zenzer, what’s not to love? All in all I recommend this to YA readers that like steampunk!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Non-stop action and a sweet, no-sex romance.
CW for abuse in the hero’s backstory.
An action-packed book with enjoyable characters. At times the plot felt almost too wild and complicated, but overall it was a very enjoyable, quick read. As always, the New Zealand setting is brought wonderfully to life with descriptions of real places and things. I also enjoyed seeing some of our modern tech replicated in a steampunk way. If anachronisms bug you, though, this might not be your cup of tea.
Clockwork Victoria is a standalone young adult steampunk novel about Beatrice, a smart and sassy cat burgler and Alexander, a famous race car driver, whose paths cross when he catches her in the act red handed during one of her capers. Instead of turning her in, Alexander cuts a deal with her to help him get back something that was stolen from him by a rival. The two begin working together and find they have skills that compliment each other and, ultimately, that they’re better together than they are apart. Beatrice is the type of female lead who is used to being on her own and taking care of herself, so its interesting to see what happens as she’s put in a situation where she is forced to depend on someone else. Characters’ flaws and weaknesses are uncovered and tested. Readers should be advised that there are elements of physical abuse since one of the characters was raised in an unsavory household. Steampunk elements are present in advanced alternative technological concepts and witty inventions. The story was reminiscent of others I’ve read where characters are drawn into a caper together and wind up growing close. I found the pace to be a bit drawn out at times, making it difficult to keep interest. Overall, just an okay young adult, steampunk book with a hint of romance.
A well written steampunk story that held my interest throughout. Lord Alexander Grosvenor and Beatrice Aniwaniwa Dashwood’s story. There is spies, suspense, drama, danger, clockwork items, a race, murder,and romance. I liked Zenzer the cat, he did not like Mr. Chester very much. I enjoyed reading this intriguing story. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I thought this was a great book. The author did a great job on the storyline and characters. Both are likable and well written. If you love steampunk then you will love this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.