Beauty and the Clockwork Beast

by Nancy Campbell Allen Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

Overview

Like the classic “Beauty and the Beast,” this steampunk romance features an unlikely love story.

The Lord of Blackwell Manor, Miles, is plagued by a family curse that changes him into a shape-shifting wolf every month during the full moon.

Lucy, a smart, attractive, and well-respected botanist, travels to Blackwell Manor to take care of her sick cousin, Kate, who is married to Miles' younger brother. For Lucy, the trip is a welcome respite from her work and recent discovery of a breakthrough serum that could eliminate the scourge of vampires from London. But Lucy finds more than she bargained for when she arrives at the Manor.

Miles, who is brash and inhospitable, does not take kindly to visitors. He is still unsettled by the mysterious death of his newlywed wife. And then there's Marie, Miles' sister, who was attacked and murdered just weeks earlier. Miles is horrified to think that he might be to blame for the deaths. And who is the ghost that haunt the halls?

Lucy is convinced that the death of Miles's wife and sister-as well as her cousin's mysterious illness-are tied together, but how?

Lady Charlesworth has her eye on inheriting Blackwell Manor for her family. Could her daughter, Candice, or her son, Arthur, have had a hand in the mysterious deaths? The clues make a vampire suspect highly likely.

During her investigation, Lucy finds herself caring deeply for Miles, but he fights to keep his distance in order to protect Lucy from his family's secret. And, yet, he feels attracted to the woman who is able to look past the fearsome-looking scar that has marred his handsome face. With no other option, Miles and Lucy must work together if they are to find the answer to the mysteries at the manor.

But that's not all Lucy wants to solve. There's a deeper mystery behind Miles. Can she solve that too? Ultimately, she must decide if she can love the man-beast and all.

Includes bonus novella, “Marie's Story”

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

[Allen] seamlessly combines family politics, ballroom dancing, and romantic swooning with airships, ray guns, and automatons . . . [her] imagining of Beauty and the Beast as a supernatural period murder mystery is delightful at every turn. — starred, Publishers Weekly

Romantic Times

"Wonderful rendition of the 'Beauty and the Beast' tale set in a Steampunk-inspired London plagued with vampires. This gothic story has it all: vampires, werewolves, ghosts, dangerous manor houses and a damsel in distress. However, in this case the distressed damsel is not the heroine but her cousin. Lucy is smart, fearless and determined to save her newly-married cousin. Campbell Allen treats readers to a spooky and thrilling ride that is rolled into a heartfelt romance." (four out of four stars)

 

Compass Book Ratings

"In addition to being the perfect genre, the cover is stunning so there were high expectations set even before the book was opened...There is plenty of commonality between this story and the original to be recognizable, and yet Allen transformed it into her own stunning piece...Steampunk novels can be so fun as the reader sees what modern gadgets and technologies authors choose to include in their stories; the things Allen incorporated really added to the intrigue and excitement of the book. Besides what has already been mentioned there is mystery, action, and suspense that will have the reader on the edge of their seat. Truly not enough can be said about this novel to describe how fantastic it is. I've never read any of Nancy Campbell Allen's work prior to this but if her other novels are even remotely as good as this one, they must all be read as well." [five out of five stars]

BookPage

"Delivers a unique take on a classic fairy tale...in a steampunk version of Victorian England, Wonderful novel filled with romance, action and adventure. The story boasts a strong hero and heroine, a darkly atmospheric setting, intriguing steampunk details and the mystery of a few spooky ghosts, vampires and werewolves. Readers will eagerly await the next novel in what promises to be an excellent series."

Booklist

"Readers new to steampunk as well as fans of the inventive genre will enjoy Allen's tale of gothic steampunk romance suspense. Neatly rendered steampunk details, from the characters’ attire to airships and robot servants, add enticing atmosphere to the growing mystery. Allen’s keen and enjoyable romance has the smart banter and appeal of Marion Chesney’s capers."

Booklist

"Readers new to steampunk as well as fans of the inventive genre will enjoy Allen's tale of gothic steampunk romance suspense. Neatly rendered steampunk details, from the characters’ attire to airships and robot servants, add enticing atmosphere to the growing mystery. Allen’s keen and enjoyable romance has the smart banter and appeal of Marion Chesney’s capers."

Kirkus Reviews

2016-05-31
An updated fairy tale in steampunk England mixes old-school gothic and new-school paranormal.This new genre-blending offering by Allen (My Fair Gentleman, 2016, etc.) has a promising start, with heroine Lucy Pickett arriving at suitably menacing Blackwell Manor to figure out what ails her cousin Kate. The latter is newly married to the younger brother of the hero, Lord Miles Blackwell—he of the clockwork heart. During Lucy's arrival, however, the lord of the manor is elsewhere, trying to conceal a secret that a blackmailer has already discovered. Is it proof that suspicions of Miles' Bluebeard tendencies are valid? Are his wife's death and his sister's murder the fault of his beastly self? His return to the manor, along with Lucy's investigation into her cousin's illness, escalates the ongoing mysterious happenings in the gloomy house. While the beast struggles to resist his desire for the beauty, she has to confront ghosts, automatons gone rogue, obnoxious relatives, surly staff, vampires, and Miles' faulty ticker—actual and metaphorical. This roster of problems would tax the hardiest of heroines, but when she starts to wander into darkened spaces and confront all manner of humans, machines, and creatures of the night, the most stalwart reader may develop steampunk-gothic-fairy-tale-paranormal fatigue. The urge to yell "Don't go there!" may also be hard to resist.There is a standard traumatic back story for the titular beast, a soap opera-worthy exhumation scene, and, finally, a dramatic unmasking of the obvious villain, but the story has already run out of steam by then.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169634655
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	08/02/2016
Series:	Steampunk Proper Romances , #1
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

Blackwell was dressed in black trousers and black riding boots that sported mud spatters. His discarded overcoat was slung over the back of the sofa, his unbuttoned vest was black, as was his cravat, which was undone and hanging loosely about his neck. He’d rolled back the cuffs of his snowy-white shirt, which was the only color contrast on an otherwise intimidating male with black hair and a thick scar that ran the length of his profile on the right side of his face. It extended from his temple, across the cheekbone and down to his jawline just beyond the corner of his mouth. The flickering lamplight showed that it continued under his chin and down across the front of his neck where it eventually disappeared under his shirt.

Lucy frowned and drew her brows together in spite of his uncomfortably close proximity, studying his face.

?“Do you have something you would like to say?” the man murmured, his voice deep, strained.

She opened her mouth and spoke before giving any real thought to her words. “Your scar isn’t nearly as fearsome as others suggest.” Her tone trailed off as she realized the extent of her social gaffe. Not only was she wandering about in the wee hours of the morning in nothing but her night clothing, she had just been blunt and insulting to the lord of the manor and her cousin’s brother-in-law. She was usually much more circumspect. Her only excuse for the lack of polish was the fact that she’d just seen an apparition—of which she’d formerly doubted the existence—and now the ghost’s brother wasn’t proving to be any more pleasant.

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