What an awesome steampunk proper romance by Nancy Campbell Allen! I loved Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts. This fantastic Cinderella tale was so well-written with great heart. I loved Emme’s strong, resilient, courageous, and good heart. I also loved Oliver’s quiet strength and constant upholding of law and justice. They were the perfect match for each other and the adventures and circumstances they went through together showed how well they matched and complemented each other. There were great supporting characters and adversaries and their love story was clean and proper with an ending that was perfect. I haven’t yet read the other steampunk books by Allen, but I am excited to do so now.
I received a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions are my own and are expressed voluntarily.

Okay, let me start by saying this is the first book that I have read from Nancy Campbell Allen and it will certainly not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. I did not realize until after I read this book that it was a part of a series, this is the type of book where you do not need to start at the beginning (although I am sure it is preferred!)

I really enjoyed the mix of classic Cinderella with steam punk, it is completely unique to anything that I have read to date and enjoyed its creativity.

Emme is a bright and brilliant woman who is passionate and stubborn while Oliver is stead fast, smart, level headed and determined to do whatever it takes to protect Emme. Regardless of who, or what, is threatening her. The two of them have an opposite balance. One that demands order while the other creates chaos (in the best ways, of course). I really loved their interactions and thoughts since we get to peak into both character's perspectives, especially as their story progresses and their feelings begin to shift.

Presented as a steampunk story and hoped to enjoy 'Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts'. Found out later that the story is listed as a 'retelling of Cinderella' but didn't seem to be that. The story was ok but I debated between 2 and 3 stars. The main characters were lacking and the story seemed muddled. Too much and not well explained. I think the author has some talent but seems like this is an early book and hopefully she will get better over time. Definite moments in the book, but overall, just average.

For just plain wacky fun, the story of Emme and Oliver can't be beat. Nice world building, great characters. However, the plot....about every 30 pages the plot can be summarized as "And then something amazing happens out of the blue." It's not like it had plot holes, it's more like it had giant plot sections left out that suddenly get revealed by a wave of the author's hand.

So, if you're stuck at the beach, this is a fun romp. If you're looking for good storytelling, look elsewhere.

Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts

This might be the best book in this steampunk fairy retelling series.

Emmeline is a loud protester for rights for shifters. The type that breaks windows for her cause and puts herself on the front lines. Because of her illegal ways, she is well acquainted with Detective-Inspector Oliver. But when she starts getting death threats and attempts on her life, she has to accept his protection.

This was a fast paced book. It was fun to see how the author used Cinderella elements in the story.

The main couple of work well together once they've over come their differences. Oliver only has a problem when Emme is breaking the law. But he understands her convictions. Together, they find out who is trying to kill Emme because there are a lot of suspects.

My biggest disappoint is this is another book where Nigel Crowe isn't the romantic lead. I've loved him since Kiss of the Spindle but I do have hope for the next book, if we get one.

The review was based on an advanced copy provided by Netgalley.

Another fun entry in the steampunk fairy tale series! This time combining activism and sly references to Cinderella plus cameos by all the previous characters.

I really wanted to like this story. Although I didn’t like the third book of the series as much as I did the first two, I was still entertained by the story and wanted to know what would happen in the next book, this book, since it would be a Cinderella retelling and that’s my favorite fairytale. Unfortunately, the story, especially the protagonist, didn’t work for me.

As president of the London chapter of the Shifter Rights Organization, which seeks to protect shapeshifters, Emmeline Castle O’Shea does not allow anything to stand in the way of her goal to protect shapeshifters. However, when a letter is mysteriously delivered to her threatening bodily harm if she presents at an international conference on shifter rights, her mother convinces her to report it to the police.

Unluckily for Detective-Inspector Oliver Reed, he is assigned as Emme’s personal bodyguard for the week-long conference. Although the two share friends and navigate the same social circles, Emme considers Oliver her nemesis because he often breaks up the protests, rallies, and riots her Shifter Rights Organization holds. But Oliver is intent on doing his job despite Emme’s insistence that such security measures aren’t needed, and Emme is intent on attending the conference despite the threats to her life. Although the two are annoyed by each other, they soften as they navigate stressful situations together and find that they share many things in common.

Not my best recap of a story there, but that’s what happens for the most part. Basically, it promised to be a very interesting story but wasn’t, and I was majorly bored by it. It’s possible that the protagonist (Emme) is the reason for this because I did not like her and hated reading from her perspective. Oliver’s perspective was not much better because he (obviously) falls in love with Emme, so all he thinks about is how great she is, which I highly disagreed with.

Emme is supposed to come off as brave, independent, kind, considerate, and selfless. Her one fault, other than her immense stubbornness, is probably caring too much about others 😑. But her actions convinced me otherwise. She often came off as selfish and inconsiderate because her focus is always her goal — to give her presentation — not necessarily to help others. And her attempts to be seen as stubbornly independent often came off as her taking unnecessary chances that could get her or others hurt and actually resulted in her getting a broken ankle and stranded on a beach with Oliver with no backup plan. She just came off as an annoying, silly character.

What really annoyed me was that she doesn’t take the threats to her life seriously. I understand that she doesn’t want to believe the reality of the situation, but even after she acknowledges this, she still does not take the danger seriously and does not consider that her family could be harmed. I mean, if a letter that threatens grisly, bodily harm is mysteriously delivered to your bedroom in your family’s house and no one knows how it got there, surely that means the people living in the house could also be in danger. I like that Emme wasn’t cowering in a corner afraid to go anywhere or do anything, but she could at least be sensible, exercise some caution, and realize that security is direly needed for herself and that her family may also be in danger.

I was also disappointed that this wasn’t the Cinderella retelling I was promised. The story wasn’t as heavily influenced by the fairytale as the previous books were. Sure, Emme has a horrible step-sister and an insufferable step-father and missed parts of the conference (a.k.a. “the ball”), but those were the most prominent similarities to the fairytale. I think the plot’s focus on Emme’s intent to give her presentation overshadows any hint of the fairytale that aren’t as prominent as those three I mentioned. With the previous stories, I didn’t need to read the synopsis to tell what fairytale influenced them, with this one, I’d need to.

And sadly, I didn’t like certain aspects of the writing either. I think this is weird of me because I liked the writing in the first book and found it very atmospheric too. But I listened to the first three books on audio and read the ARC of this one, so I wonder if that difference has something to do with why I’m annoyed by some aspects of the writing now. What got to me were the MANY times a character’s lips “twitched” into a smile or some other expression. I don’t know why, but that really irked me, lol. I also was annoyed that the letter containing the threat was often referred to and always called the “Bad Letter.” I don’t think I’d have minded if it had happened once or twice, but it became annoying after a while because we don’t get to read the letter and aren’t told any specifics about it, so why mention it that many times?

I sometimes like when enemies become lovers, but the development of the romance in this was not convincing. I think it happened too quickly. I guess the only things I liked were the descriptions of the clothing and learning more about the shapeshifter population and the politics within it. It wasn’t the worldbuilding I was hoping for, but it sufficed.

OVERALL: ★★☆☆☆

I disagree that it’s a Cinderella retelling because the references to the fairytale are too little. And the protagonist was too annoying for me to like the story much.

This is a good steampunk retelling of a Cinderella story. Although I didn’t get the Cinderella part until the end and I’m afraid the first 35% of the book was just dialogue. The remainder of the book made up for it. When the story picked up, it was very engaging and kept you on the seat of your chair. The characters were intriguing and the chemistry between Emme and Oliver is fun, flirty and dangerous. This is the fourth book in this steam punk fairytale series, but can be read as a standalone. It is a entertaining, clean (no swearing or sex) suspenseful romance with a paranormal theme. I have not read the others in the series and will be reading them soon. That may be why I had a hard time at the beginning, as I didn’t know the background of the stories. So it might be a good idea to read the series in order as written. Curious if we will hear Madeline’s story?
I would like to thank Shadow Mountain Publishing for a copy of this book, through Net Galley, for my honest opinion and review.

A Cinderella steam punk, yes please!
I’ve been hoping for Emma’s and Oliver story and it’s finally here! I really enjoy a fun enemies to lovers storyline and Nancy has given that to us with this book. I think Emma and Oliver’s tale may be my favorite of the series. I enjoyed the twist and turns with trying to figure out who is after Emma. I especially loved how much we got to see the characters from the previous books in this story.
My only con was there being no epilogue. I feel like an epilogue would have expanded on a couple things that I didn’t feel were wrapped up enough with the just the ending.
Nancy has come up with such a fascinating world in this series. I love coming back to it with each book. Even though this can be read as a stand-alone I recommend going back and reading all of them in order.

#BrassCarriagesandGlassHearts #NetGalley

This is the fourth book in Nancy Campbell Allen's steampunk series. A retelling of Cinderella.
Emmeline O'Shea has a mind of her own and more than once has been arrested by the detective-inspector Oliver Reed. Unlike Cinderella, she has a step father and step sisters.
When Emmeline receives a letter with a threat, she finds herself being assigned to detective-inspector Reed, who finds himself having to be creative in trying to keep track of Emmeline O'Shea.
A book filled with vampires, shifters, tons, and horseless carriages. This book was suspenseful and filled with romance.

I love the steampunk series by Nancy Campbell Allen. I keep trying to make the characters fit into a Regency-era romance, and that just doesn’t work with this style of novel!

Emme and Oliver have quite the tempestuous relationship, he having arrested her numerous times over the years. They get thrown together when he is appointed as her protective detail, and then the fun begins! I got a kick out of watching the two of them grow in their relationship, as well as navigate all the many obstacles that are thrown in Emme’s path.

There are a few similarities to the Cinderella fairy tale, but they’re mostly very subtle. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, and look forward to reading it again. I hope that Madeline will get a story of her own in the near future.

This book was so wonderful! It was such a fun steampunk Cinderella retelling. I loved the two main characters, Emmeline and Oliver. They were both the perfect combination of fierce, independent and kind. The book has such a great element of the supernatural and the plot was wonderfully paced.

Emmeline (Emme) is a spokesperson and advocator for Shifters, and often clashed with Detective Inspector Oliver Reed when the riots she led got out of control. When Emme's life is threatened as a result of her job, Oliver is assigned as her bodyguard. While they unravel the mystery of Emme's adversary, they quickly realize their strong feelings toward each other fall less along the lines of hate... quite the opposite! I loved watching their relationship develop. They turned their passion working against each other into a passion for each other. I loved the nods to the Cinderella fairytale, it blended in with the storyline perfectly. The mysterious elements kept me guessing, and I enjoyed seeing everything play out and wrap up at the end. I love Allen's characters, particularly her female characters. They are strong, kind, and very relatable. Would definitely recommend this book!

I have been waiting for Nancy Campbell Allen's new steampunk romance, Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts and was not disappointed. I love this world she's built and the characters in it kept me glued to the pages!

This is Emmeline O'Shea's story and Emme is a woman to be reckoned with. She is an activist for Shifter rights and societal reform and is really good at what she does. She has a pull on listeners when she addresses a crowd and is firm in her convictions. Sometimes things get out of hand, however, and Detective-Inspector Oliver Reed is always there to pull her out of the fray---much to Emme's chagrin. They are adversaries in the truest sense of the word---until Emme's receives a threatening letter. Oliver is assigned as her bodyguard and is tasked to make sure she makes it safely to Edinburgh so she can present at the International Shifter Rights Organization before a very important vote. It seems like an easy assignment---but the danger is closer than they think.

I loved the relationship between Oliver and Emme. They are both so passionate about their causes and opinions, it is fun to see them really start to see the other person as they truly are. Their love story was so swoon-worthy! I loved Oliver and how stalwart he was, yet tender and truly a good man. Emme is definitely his match in every way. She is so relatable in how she deals with her world and wants to be a force for change. It's not easy to do that, however, as well as balance family issues and life in general. This story is so compelling and actually speaks to activism in our world today. It's a loose retelling of Cinderella, but stands on its own with some twists the reader won't see coming!

Allen has built a world that is easy to get lost in. This book and the entire series is on my auto-buy list! Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts will definitely go on my favorites shelf!

BRASS CARRIAGES AND GLASS HEARTS by Nancy Campbell Allen is the fourth book in the Steampunk Proper Romance series. This is the first book that I have read in this genre and by this author, but it certainly will not be my last. Each book in this series has a steampunk version of a retelling of a fairy tale. In this case it is loosely based around the story of Cinderella. It is set in a world with steam-driven carriages and airships as well as shifters, vampires and humans.

Emmeline O’Shea wants to change the world and is a strong voice for societal reform. She is selected to give the final speech at the end of the International Shifter Rights Organization’s Summit in Scotland. With death threats, her nemesis Detective-Inspector Oliver Reed, a step-father, two step-sisters, a preoccupied mother, unknown enemies and political indecision, the path forward is certain to be exciting.

I was immediately captivated by Emmeline and Oliver. Their characters are compelling, felt real, and were three-dimensional. Their motivations seemed believable and had well-drawn and appropriate emotion. The secondary characters enhanced the story rather than overwhelming it. The internal and external conflicts were well defined, organic and believable; arising out of characterization and circumstance. The stakes were high and the tension made this a page turner for me.

The prose was well-written, entertaining and engaging. The plot was clever, suspenseful, fun, enjoyable and entertaining. The ending was satisfying. Overall, I was drawn into this tale immediately and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was appealing, enjoyable, entertaining, humorous as times, and thought-provoking. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series. I highly recommend this series to those that enjoy clean romantic suspense set in a steampunk world with a paranormal aspect and loosely based on a fairy tale.

Many thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing and Nancy Campbell Allen for a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

Nancy Campbell Allen did it again! I loved every word, every scene, every cameo from the previous books in the series. While it can be read as a stand alone, I would highly encourage reading the first three (which are fantastic in their own rights and in my re-read pile for the third time).
Steampunk romance is one of my favorite subgenres to read and Nancy weaves such a delightful tale. This is not a strict Cinderella retelling, but there are enough nods to it that gave me a feeling of nostalgia and familiarity. Gus might have been the best Cinderella-esque element. I'm left with enough curiosity that I certainly hope to see more novels in this world in the near future. 🤞🏻
Emme and Oliver are acknowledged enemies, preferring to be anywhere the other isn't. Unfortunately, Oliver is a detective and tasked with keeping the peace. Emme is a shifter advocate and can often be found protesting and "inciting" riots. Their hate-hate relationship is amusing and I love a good enemies-to-lovers book.
I can't wait for this to release as an audio! I'm looking forward to reading Emme and Oliver's story all over again.
Thank you, Shadow Mountain and Netgalley for the advanced copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.

Years ago, before I even knew what Steampunk was, I stumbled across a book. It looked interesting. It was about Sherlock Holmes' niece and Bram Stoker's sister. Both of those literary male figures were ones that I really enjoyed. So I took a chance and picked up the book. I didn't know when I checked it out from the library that it was Steampunk. So you can imagine my surprise to diving into this new series and reading about the main character discussing her outfits and adding cogs and sprockets and goggles and such to it. Plus the constant talk about steam power and no electricity, and Tesla coils. I took it all in, loving it and trying to figure out what this new world I'd entered was. I figured it out eventually of course (I was probably halfway through the book when I stopped to do some research). Now I've read several books in that genre and have really enjoyed them. This Steampunk Proper Romance series has been one that I've read them all and I keep hoping that the author will continue to write more books for it. The sky is the limit for fairytales to add into it. Hee Hee! Just a little plug from a fan wanting more. And I have to say that I say several potential characters in this book that could have their own story...another little hint, hint!

Before I write anything further in my review I have to put a plug in for readers who haven't read this series. Although you can read this book as a stand alone, I recommend reading every book in order. There's a lot that the author has built up, the world, the characters, the shifters and their need for protection. So much that will pull you into this world and have you turning the pages to discover what is in story for the characters and how the fairytale ties into the story. At least the books pulled me into the world and had me turning the pages to discover.

It's interesting that as I opened the pages of the book, I felt like the author was advocating for rights for all in the real world. That may not make sense, but to help, in this world there are many who are called shifters. They transform into werewolves, vampires, and many other creatures. Emme is trying to spearhead the cause for reforming rules and regulations regarding the shifter community. She wants all to be equal. I loved her passion and her rushing ahead to be the voice for those who didn't have one. Oliver is a detective who knows Emme's desires and personality as he's been watching her and pulling her out of situations where she puts herself in harms way. They've been at odds for years. She thinks he hates her and is out to get her when really he supports the need for reform and equality but knows there's a way to go about it without creating damage or harm to others or property. Not that Emme is harming anyone, just that she has a way with speaking and can bring crowds of people to seeing her point of view, which eventually turns to some riots.

There's danger around every corner for Emme. When one such letter brings alarm to her mother, Emme finds herself at the mercy of the police for protection and one such detective, Oliver Reed. Yay! You can bet that really makes her happy (ok, I'm being sarcastic there).

I really loved watching these two dance around their many emotions and the tension of their relationship...definitely not friendship. Unless, maybe they realize that they are actually fighting for the same cause, just a little different route for both.

One of my favorite scenes was at the beginning when Oliver comes to her house to discuss the particulars of what was happening, her upcoming schedule for traveling to the International Shifter Rights Organization’s week-long Summit in Scotland. There are so many important things happening in the story at that point. I loved it! There are many other scenes that I loved throughout this book as well. There are plenty of scenes that are calm, scenes that are full of intensity and suspense, danger, intrigue, surprises, struggles, and much, much more.

Now I find myself hoping once again for another book to be written in this series...and this one hasn't even been published yet. I guess that gives all of you who are eyeing this series plenty of time to read the first three books until this one comes out, then read this one and be like me, hoping for more!

Content: Clean. There are only some kisses throughout the book and nothing more. This is a paranormal/fantasy/steampunk. This book talks about vampires mainly and references a few other creatures. Some suspense but nothing graphic.

I received a copy from the publisher, Shadow Mountain Publishing, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts is an endearing tale. The story of Cinderella has never been more exquisitely written. Set against a steampunk world, the true themes of love, friendship, and hope shine through.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Frankly, I was expecting more from this book. I went into it looking for a Cinderella retelling with a haters-to-lovers dynamic and both those elements fell a bit flat for me.

The romance felt really rushed and underdeveloped, it started off as a relationship mainly based on annoyance and mutual dislike between the main characters only to turn into undying love (the type that people ask each other to marry them there and then in the middle of a political event after a 2-minutes-long engagement) over the course of 72 hours (36 of which they spent apart). It just felt incredibly forced and awkward to read.

Secondly, I also felt that the general plot was a little bit stale in this one, as the action only picks up in the last third of the book, whereas we spend the rest hearing Emme going on and on about her political activism (and what a good person she is because if it), being rude to Oliver (only to later realize she might actually be in love with him ?!?) and later overanalysing every gesture and word that comes out of his mouth (because how could he love her?, but also: how could he not?).

Oliver, on the other hand, even though he seems more consistent in his feelings toward Emme (he appreciates her strength of character from the beginning, at least), is later proven to be rather clueless in his own sphere of work, first by failing to identify Gus’s nature and later on by naively falling for his brother’s scheme. Speaking of which, I should say the whole “twist” at the end was quite predictable, including the identity of the villain and their motives, which both felt very much overly simplified and convenient.

As for the Cinderella element, it was almost non-existent to begin with and only really appeared right before the end, so that the references really do not have any weight on the plot itself whatsoever.

I really enjoyed this book. Emmeline is a strong character. She is fighter for the underdog. Oliver is also a great character. He agrees with Emmeline's position just not how she goes about it sometimes. He is tasked with protecting her when she receives threatening letters before an important summit meeting. The danger and craziness that ensues kept me turning pages. I would definitely recommend this book.

I LOVED this book! The steampunk aspect and the shifters and vampires, it's oddly relatable?
Emme O'Shea is a wildly popular and successful activist for shifters. She aims to get them equal rights so they don't have to hide who and what they are, but so they can confidently hold jobs and live life just like everyone else.
Detective-Inspector Oliver Reed has always been on the opposite side of Emme, stopping her protests, taking her to jail, at least that's what she sees. When Emme's life is threatened, Oliver is enlisted by his superiors to protect her so that she can safely deliver the key-note address at an international rally for shifters.
As they spend more time together they discover that they are not as different as they first thought. Emme and Oliver see eye-to-eye on many issues, it's only the tactics they use to achieve change that is different.
It all comes to a show-down with vampires, evil step-sisters, oppressed shifters, and the fight for good.
I recommend this book for anyone who loves a good fantasy, Cinderella, and adventure. Probably best for 16 and older.