A steampunk Sleeping Beauty story from the author of Beauty and the Clockwork Beast. Doctor Isla Cooper is cursed. Literally. Each night, at the stroke of midnight she falls into a death-like sleep from which she cannot be awakened for six hours. To make it worse, the curse has an expiration date–after a year, it becomes permanent. And the year is almost up. In a desperate attempt to find … desperate attempt to find Malette–the witch who cursed her–Isla blackmails her way onto Daniel Pickett’s private airship bound for the Caribbean, only to discover she’s traveling with three illegal shapeshifters and the despicable Nigel Crowe, a government official determined to hunt down and exterminate every shapeshifter in England. Isla and Daniel must work together to keep the identities of the shapeshifters hidden while coming to terms with their own hidden secrets, and their blossoming attraction to each other.
Filled with suspense, intrigue, and plenty of romance, Kiss of the Spindle is steampunk Sleeping Beauty story. It is a race against the clock as Isla and Daniel try to hunt down the elusive Malette before Isla’s death-like sleep becomes permanent.
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The premise was so interesting and I did not see how it was going to turn out! Except the hea was predictable, in a good way. That was lovely.
Praise from the Clean Romance Team:
Wow. This is the first steampunk book I’ve ventured to read, and it was such a fun ride!
This may be the best steampunk romance I’ve read! Such a fun story, creative and imaginative!
An incredible fantasy, steampunk romance that ticks all the boxes!
Another great steampunk romance and adventure! I just love the characters and plot in this second book of the series. It’s tense and emotional without being angsty, the setting is beautiful, and the narrator does a wonderful job. Highly recommended!
This is a unique retelling of Sleeping Beauty in a steampunk genre. I loved it and will most certainly be reading any and all books by this author!
I have had this audiobook on my Hoopla list for a few months now and I am so glad I finally decided to give it a listen. You can read these books as stand alones or you can read them in order. They all take place in the same steampunk world that the author has created. Its steampunk with a mix of paranormal and I am living for it. A year ago I would have told you that I do not read any romance books and I would have been kinda right. I picked up books from Gail Carriger and that changed everything her books lead me on to these and I am so happy about that. I enjoy a good proper romance more than I would have originally thought I would. In this book, you get more of the build-up for the romance and it was very sweet. I know that this book seems like it’s fast but they are riding in an airship for the majority of it and the trip took weeks. You really don’t get a time frame until they talk about getting a faster ship later and saying it would still take weeks.
The cast of characters for this story was wonderful. I grew to like some of the side characters as much as the main characters. How they come together to support Isla felt organic for the group we had. For me, this just added another layer to the story. Isla had relied only on herself for so long and now she has a group that is willing to help her share her burden and find a solution just made the story that much better for me.
I can not wait to pick up the next one in this series. I have it currently on my shelf, but being a mood reader it may be a little while before I actually pick it up.
An adventure, Sleeping Beauty. Clean and well written. Experience the Magic and Danger of the Victorian Steam Age and this beautiful Retelling.
I loved the first book in this series, Beauty and the Clockwork Beast, so I was beyond excited to start Kiss of the Spindle. And I’ve gotta say, it was just as good as it’s predecessor. There’s just something so fun about combining a steampunk setting with a fairy tale retelling. I can’t get enough of it.
Isla was a kick-butt heroine. Strong, independent, determined, courageous. She knew exactly what she wanted and stopped at nothing to get it. Daniel was a bit closed-off, so it was hard to get a feel for him in the beginning, but it wasn’t long before he showed himself to be an infinitely likable guy with a heart of gold. They made such a great team and I really liked the fact that they started off as friends. There was no insta-love here which I was so grateful for. The romance slowly developed over the course of the book.
I always liked Sleeping Beauty so to see it retold in this way was a joy. I was fully and completely engrossed in it and didn’t want it to end. I highly recommend it and am so ready for book three!
Loved, loved, loved it! Normally, I’ll go back if something doesn’t make sense or if I was distracted and reread sections. I reread sections or chapters just to experience a scene again. So good!
Dr. Isla Cooper was cursed nearly a year ago and time is running out for her to find the Dark Magick witch, Malette, and get her to reverse the curse. She’ll do anything and everything in her power to secure passage to Port Lucy… even resort to blackmail. But will Daniel Pickett see through her threats and refuse her passage? She’ll have to be very convincing because she MUST be on the flight no matter what.
Daniel Pickett already has enough on his plate and doesn’t need the added stress of Isla Cooper forcing her way onto his personal airship. It’s bad enough that he’s going to have to travel without the proper accommodations for the three illegal shifters on board so close to the full moon phase. And if that wasn’t enough, Nigel Crowe, a member of the Predatory Shifter Regulations Committee and a thorn in everyone’s side, has decided that he, too, will board the airship bound for Port Lucy. Heaven help him.
To say that Isla and Daniel got off on the wrong foot is an understatement. The man is maddening. How dare he take all her weapons and leave her unprotected? But did she really give him a choice in the matter? She DID blackmail him after all. But they will need to get over it with Crowe now part of their travelling party. They must work together to protect Lewis, Quince and Bonadea from Crowe.
When circumstances arise that would prevent Isla from helping the shifters, who quickly became her friends, she is forced to tell Daniel about the curse and the real reason why she is headed to Port Lucy. Isla has never had anyone to look after her or protect her. She has always had to go at it alone. She’s beyond shocked when Daniel offers his help with her situation. Along the way, Isla and Daniel develop a friendship which soon turns into deep feelings for each other. Isla just hopes she has enough time to see where their relationship will go.
With the expiration date of the curse looming over them, Isla and Daniel, with the help of their shifter friends, will need to work together and quickly to find Malette. But there’s something else they haven’t dealt with… or rather someone else. Crowe. How are they ever going to keep all of this from him? They will all need to stay alert, focused and work together. Leaving Port Lucy without breaking Isla’s curse is just not an option. If anyone deserves a HEA it’s these two. And Isla and Daniel have too much to lose to not go down without a fight.
Wow! That is all I can say! I absolutely adored this book! The twists and turns, the swoony moments, the laughing out loud, the suspense, and did I mention the swoony moments? SO good! Once I picked up this book, I could NOT put it down! I devoured it in one day! I highly recommend this book to everyone! I am loving this series! I can’t wait for the next book to be released!
I have only read 2 books by this author and can see myself checking out more books by her!
Oh my I loved this. It was such a surprise and such fun to read. I have loved Allen’s writing for 20 years and am never disappointed. I loved her retelling of Beauty and the Beast and absolutely loved this Sleeping Beauty retelling. She is so creative! She makes an old story brand new and add’s a bit of steam punk but not overloaded so you are lost. These books don’t connect too much. The woman in B and the B is the Hero in this book’s sister. Both can be read on their own. I just loved Isla! What a strong yet feminine heroine. She carries the story and makes this all work. Everyone revolved around her. Daniel is so yummy, he has this dark brooding thing with a deep inner core. These two are perfect. Such a fun read. I would say 14 and up for this one. Some violence at the end. I remember B and the B was more violent.
This is the second in Nancy Allen Campbell’s steampunk series, although it could be read as a stand-alone novel. It follows the story of Daniel, the ship captain from the first novel, but is his story alone.
I never thought I would like steampunk, but I do like this author’s. They’re clean, refreshing, and unique.
This book took some loose themes from Sleeping Beauty. It is a romance between a therapist/empath who threatens her way onto a ship in order to find a cure. The captain is Daniel. Bonus: it is not inta-love!
This is such a fun on a steampunk Cinderella re-telling. It had all the traditional elements, but with a twist!
Wow. This is the first steampunk book I’ve ventured to read, and it was such a fun ride! It took me a little bit to get comfortable with the some of the terminology and concepts, but the story and characters immediately grabbed me and pulled me into the intriguing plot. I loved Isla’s grit, confidence, and determination. I loved Daniel’s strength, charisma, and protective nature. I loved the dynamics between the passengers on the airship, the race against time, and the mysterious spell that Isla is desperate to reverse. The friendship and romance between Isla and Daniel develops naturally but swiftly, and their chemistry was amazing! I appreciated that they allowed themselves to be vulnerable with each other; it instilled a foundation of trust in their relationship that made the quick timeline work for me. The adventure was epic and this book would make such a great movie! Highly recommend!
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
Fans of steampunk will love this great twist on the Sleeping Beauty tale. Not a fan of steampunk, or don’t even know what it is? You’ll still love it! At least I think you will because when I read Nancy Campbell Allen’s book, Beauty and the Clockwork Beast, I had no idea what steampunk was. Basically it’s a story where a classic setting is integrated into a society that utilizes steam-powered or gear-powered technology. If you love a good romance, I think you should read this book.
Doctor Isla Cooper is incredibly resourceful, smart, and beautiful. Oh, and she’s cursed, so she bullies her way onto Daniel Pickett’s private airship to try to find a cure. The crew and passengers aboard are delightful, curious, scary, and clever. I enjoyed the many different forms of tension in the book, from romantic to mystery to paranormal. Shape-shifters, criminals, detectives, and captains all play a big role in this story. Allen did an awesome job of weaving in intricate details from the classic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. You’ll want to be on the lookout for them throughout the story. I think you’ll smile and even hold your breath a time or two. There’s definitely some swoony kisses in this book and I loved it because it is a clean romance–the best kind! I look forward to reading more books by Nancy Campbell Allen.