When love simmers between a reclusive scientist and a wealthy debutante, will they abandon ship or is it full steam ahead? Nicole Renard returns home to Galveston, Texas, to find her father deathly ill. Though she loves him, Nicole’s father has always focused on what she’s not. Not male. Not married. Not able to run Renard Shipping. Vowing to find a suitable husband to give her father the heir … husband to give her father the heir he desires before it’s too late, Nicole sets out with the Renard family’s greatest treasure as her dowry: the highly coveted Lafitte Dagger. But her father’s rivals come after the dagger, forcing a change in Nicole’s plans.
After a boiler explosion aboard the Louisiana nearly took his life, Darius Thornton has been a man obsessed. He will do anything to stop even one more steamship disaster. Even if it means letting a female secretary into his secluded world.
Nicole is determined not to let her odd employer scare her off with his explosive experiments, yet when respect and mutual attraction grow between them, a new fear arises. How can she acquire an heir for her father when her heart belongs to another? And when her father’s rivals discover her hiding place, will she have to choose between that love and her family’s legacy?
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I loved Darius in this book. He was such a lovable hero with his imperfections, his intelligence, his loyalty, pretty much everything. Nicole, on the other hand, was a little bit harder for me to like at times. I loved that she helped Darius see the truth he needed to see to overcome the past that had haunted him, but I hated that she really needed to take some of her own advice and refused to do so. She wanted to be there for Darius and help him, but she wasn’t too keen on accepting his help when she needed it. Her obsession with the protecting the dagger at the risk of her own life and others’ frustrated me. All that being said, I still enjoyed the book because there was a point where she finally did come to the realize the truths she needed to see. I was able to enjoy her character more after that, and I very much appreciated how Darius and Nicole loved each other, brought the best out in each other, helped each other overcome the struggles they had, and did not give up on each other.
“Full Steam Ahead” by Karen Witemeyer is a stand-alone novel that is followed by the novella, “Love on the Mend.” This exquisitely written novel transports the reader to Texas in the midst of the Industrial Revolution. Nicole Renard is on a mission to find a suitable husband to inherit her father’s shipping business. However, when Nicole must change her plans in order to avoid dangerous thieves, she meets Darius Thornton, a secluded man haunted by a tragic disaster and obsessed with improving steamship boilers. Can Nicole and Darius learn to trust one another and reveal their most vulnerable selves?
This novel is the reason why I fell in love with Christian, historical fiction! In fact, I want so desperately for a movie to portray this brilliant novel! I love how Witemeyer flawlessly incorporated Christianity throughout the story as the characters learn to trust fully in God. Another highlight of the novel is the hero and heroine who must save one another physically as well as emotionally. The moments between Nicole and Darius are so beautifully written, and I reread some of their scenes together because I wanted to experience it all over again! I have to admit, I even cried tears of joy and pain many times!
I highly recommend this novel! I cannot praise Witemeyer enough for her magnificent plot, characters, and writing, and I cannot wait to read her other novels!
This book was amazing!
It did not take long for the story to captivate me. I absolutely loved the main character’s personalities and how they worked together throughout the book. The author also did an amazing job of showing God’s love for His children. This book had me laughing, smiling, and binge reading up until the early hours of the morning.
The first 10 pages were so detailed that I felt like I was actually there. When it came to Nicole’s introduction to the story I wasn’t impressed. As the story progressed it got better but it still wasn’t great and I almost stopped reading it. Chapter 20 was the turning point for me. I was in the DO NOT DISTURB ME I AM READING zone until the very last page. Really, Really glad I stuck it out and finished it.
I’ve had this book on my shelf for quite a while and am glad to have finally read it! I really enjoy this author’s books and this is one of only a couple of novels that I had not yet read.
The characters were quirky, yet believable. Their chemistry was good together and developed over time as they worked on testing boilers for steam engines.
This story had a bit of everything: danger, romance, and humor, yet it also had serious topics woven throughout it. Darius struggled with survivor’s guilt and Nicole carried the burden of feeling as if she was not enough for her father, since she wasn’t a son. Definitely an enjoyable tale.
When Nicole Renard returns home to be with her ailing father, her stay ends up being shorter than planned when ruffians break in and attempt to steal her family’s legacy: the Lafitte dagger. In an effort to protect her family, Nicole agrees to a trip to New Orleans to find a husband among her father’s partners, offering the dagger as her dowry. However, Nicole’s plans change when those same ruffians attempt to waylay her and steal the dagger again. In her effort to escape, Nicole finds herself taking refuge as the secretary to Darius Thornton, a gruff man obsessed with his efforts to create a safer steam engine. Yet, despite his poor first impression, Darius might be exactly the man Nicole to save more than just her family legacy.
There’s so much about this book to love. Witemeyer is a master of setting. She brings Texas in the 1800s to life with distinct details and impactful characters. Nicole is feisty, determined, and smart. Darius is a little bit of an absent-minded professor, but with a protective, kind heart. I love how the two of them work together. I can’t wait to read more by Karen Witemeyer!
This book was so good! It was my first of Karen Witemeyer’s and it did not disappoint. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job of pulling me into the story right from the beginning. I thought Darius and Nicole worked well together and I couldn’t wait to see how their story worked out. I even found myself interested in steamship boilers!
I downloaded this story as an audible book for a 9 hour drive. This really helped to help the time pass better. I enjoyed both the h & H. Each had their own journey of growth & I thought the journey was written well. There were some good food for thought moments and good dialogue. Everything, the story, romance, character development,climax and resolution, flowed very nicely
This was a sweet romance with a hearty helping of sass. Nicole and Darius’s personalities played well off each other with both of them a bit too independent for their own good, but eventually slowly one tiny speck at a time were able to let the other break through that. Their scientific banter was great and I completely imagined them meeting in a STEM class then going out afterwards to run experiments and blow things up in the parking lot. You know, standard dating stuff. If you need a light read and a fairly predictable romance (which is not a bad thing in my opinion!) then this is the book to read.
This review was first posted on kelseygietl.com.
What a delightful story! I loved it! Such great characters that really come to life! A winner!!
I love Karen Witemeyer’s books. She fills them with humor, adventure and romance. This is a book I will definitely read again.