Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts is a Steampunk novel with hints of Cinderella. It seems that the evil stepsisters are there and Emme is certainly out working tirelessly. There is even a shoe to be found by the prince but there it diverges. We get the fun Victorian age steampunk inventions including some wings that can be strapped on the escape a sinister flying dirigible when parachutes go missing. We get the enemies-destined-to-be-lovers trope and it really works here. Its does not feel contrived. In short we get some spectacular yet real characters and a plot full of interest and twists. I would recommend this book to my patrons.

Wow. What a fun read! At first, I thought calling this a take on Cinderella was a stretch as there were few plot points that corresponded with the classical tale. Well, I took it all back by the end. My favorite may be Emme's Fairy Godmother. I giggled to no end! The progression of this enemies to lovers romance was believable and unforced. The sweet romance of it was lovely and refreshing. I felt this was wonderfully written (and edited!) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Steampunk aspect was spot on and I loved the addition of shifters and vampires. This is my first read from Ms. Allen and I will search out more by her.

I've read all the books in the series and I think this is my favorite so far. Maybe because, by now, I know the world and what to expect from it. I enjoyed the appearances of the characters from the other books and how they had a role in this story.

When the story starts, we see how Emme and Oliver's relationship with each other has been so far: he's a detective, she's an advocate for the shapeshifter community, and their work and beliefs are at odds. Or so it seems.

Even as Oliver carts Emme away from a near-riot, there's an undercurrent to what they admit about the other, and you know there's more than what they say, even if they won't admit it.

When her life is threatened and Oliver becomes her protector, their close time together brings out their feelings for each other in the open, and their romance is a sweet one. Of course, the problems surrounding them only escalate.

I felt the theme of this story was very contemporary and lent lots of opportunities for thinking about our current society climate.

This is a story that will be much better understood if read after the other books in the series.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Another story from the the fabulous steampunk world of Nancy Campbell Allen! This one focused on
Emme and Oliver and spun the well known Cinderella tale.

Emme has recently accepted a high ranking position and is continuing to fight for shifters' rights. We find out more about her family, including her two stepsisters, one of which has a chip on her shoulder.

Oliver is assigned protection duty over Emme to keep her safe from a threat sent to her through a "bad letter". Emme surprises Oliver by being a willing participant. The two of them find a comfortable routine and learn that they are both advocating for similar outcomes, but through two different means.

Lots of danger and adventure follow Emme and Oliver as they make their way to Edinburgh for the a festival and meetings surrounding the shifters' rights vote.

Cinderella elements include evil stepsister, Gus Gus, a pumpkin carriage, and a lost shoe. We also get to visit our friends from the first 3 books and it was delightful to see how happy they all are!

I absolutely love the characters that are created in these stories and cannot wait for the next one!

When I saw steampunk and a retelling, I immediately said, “yes please.” Little did I know that it was part of a series, number 4, in fact. I would suggest that anyone probably wants to start at the beginning, as characters from the earlier books make an appearance, and it would help with understanding the background and world building.

That being said, I still enjoyed the book. It was a fun, easy read. Nothing challenging or requiring massive thinking, but a perfectly enjoyable afternoon read.

It should be noted that I think “retelling” is a bit of a stretch for this book. Besides a parent remarrying, and inheriting some not-so-nice siblings, I don’t think Emme was shoved into a basement and forced to clean up after her new siblings/parent. She was independent, had her own profession, and didn’t seem to give to whits about that pesky step-sister.

The inclusion of Gus was a cute touch, as well as her missing shoe, though the latter, really unnecessary.

The villain was easy to guess, but it didn’t change my opinion of the book, as I was just enjoying it for what it was. I will likely try to read the earlier books in the series.

This is not your average Cinderella retelling! Ms. Allen has such subtle nods to the original fairy tale that while they are easy to spot, they do not overwhelm or dictate the story line. The handsome prince is not royal, there is no evil step-mother, and the godmother character is far from fairy-like. However, the plot is charming and there is never a doubt that the happily-ever-after is only a lost slipper away.

Having a supernatural steampunk setting added to the not-quite-fantasy feel that was did not challenge my ability to believe. Each character has their strengths and weaknesses, each has challenges to overcome or fall victim to. It is what builds the story and drives it forward. (And the evil step-sister's Mother Gothel-esque maipulation of others just makes you love to hate her.)

This is a cozy, clean, and easy read that is a quick flight of fancy. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys fairy tale retellings, enemies to lovers stories, and fans of Gail Carriger or Kady Cross.

This is book four of Nancy Campbell Allen's Steampunk Romance series, and it's just as engaging as the other three. Emme gets to speak at the ISRO summit - during the coveted timeslot immediately prior to a midnight vote on shifter rights. After she receives a direct threat to her life, Oliver, her "number one nemesis" - the Detective Inspector who has arrested her more times than either can likely count - becomes her personal protector/bodyguard. Can she get to Edinburgh on time, even with his help?

We all knew that Oliver and Emme would turn into an enemies-to-lovers story, right? There was way too much mutual animosity simmering in that corner of the steampunk proper romance world for our author to NOT go there! It was so much fun to watch Emme's fire chip through Oliver's stoic facade.

I really enjoyed seeing so much interaction between the four friends and their spouses. It is always fun to see Miles, Daniel, Sam, and Oliver together, and it's even better now that each has a significant other (well, except for Oliver ... *wink, wink*). I also loved Emme's character. Yes, she's a firebrand. She fiercely champions her causes without even considering the potential consequences to herself. She's selfless and she ruthlessly plows through every single obstacle despite her fears. At first Oliver appears to be her direct opposite, but his relentless drive, loyalty, and personal integrity burn as hot as Emme's fierce determination - just in a different way. There are so many positive character traits between the two and they are both extremely easy to root for as the plot progresses.

Gus was a delightful surprise. I loved this little nod to Disney's Cinderella: "My name is Guster Gustavsen. Associates with a sense of humor call me Gus-Gus. Most simply call me Gus." He's such a stalwart companion.

I only have positive things to say about this book. It's everything I'd hoped for. The plot moves at a clip all the way through, with smart banter and a dry wit.

One parting comment: I would not suggest jumping directly into this story. While it might technically be considered a standalone novel, there is a pretty substantial story arc that has been building up over the previous three novels. Take the time to read Beauty and the Clockwork Beast, Kiss of the Spindle, and the Lady in the Copper gate Tower. Without that background, it would be more difficult to understand the complexities of the SRO/PSRC conflict and the shifter/vampire social injustices.

Language: very clean
Blush Factor: kisses, nothing more
Other Elements: a fair amount of light violence, along with some brief glimpses of (relatively mild) gore

Thank you, author and publisher, for sharing an advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.

Prepare to be swept up in this action-filled story.  The writing is smooth, the plotline flawless, and the adventure is gripping.  I did not want to put this book down - Nancy Campbell Allen's plot twists and delayed character revelations kept me on my toes!  This story stands alone, although the supporting characters have delightful stories of their own, which add to character depth and which I also thoroughly enjoyed.  I appreciated that (although it is branded as an enemies-to-friends) the romance built quickly and the leads were not fighting for too much of the book. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions are my own.

Emme is an advocate for the rights of shifters and who has met police officer Oliver several times as he hauls her away from protests which have turned violent. Now Emme has been given a prestigious position in the organization advocating for protecting Shifters at the same time she receives a very horrible threatening letter. Emme is determined to give her speech at her organization’s gathering and Oliver has been assigned to keep her safe.

Both Emme and Oliver are brave, resourceful people dedicated to their life’s work. There were some surprises, tension, romance and plot holes in the story.

The book blurb had some errors.