This book tricked me! I thought it was the last in the series, but it clearly is not. Altogether good overall with a few stops and starts. A few tropes (like protecting friends at your own risk) are getting a bit old though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I didn't realize when I requested this it was #3 in a series so I was a bit lost with the characters. I do not recommend reading them out of order as I had to go back to the other books to figure out what was going on.
Overall I liked the steampunk world the author has built. It makes sense and flows well. I gauge my YA steampunk reading on Cassandra Clare and those are some big shoes to fill. This one was just ok on that scale.
The characters were built out well and relatable. Although, again, had I had the background prior to reading this perhaps I would have had a little more investment in them.
Pacing was good. I wasn't bored.
And can we just talk about the covers of these books? So pretty I had to go out and get myself some copies.
Overall, I feel like I really need to go back and start again at the beginning to truly understand how the character development in this book is important to the series.

The Girl with the Iron Touch is the third book of The Steampunk Chronicles, is a very enjoyable third book, it follows Finley and her friends as they just returned from America, Finley is worried with Griffin he seems to be more holed up than usual and its obviously keeping secrets, but everything has to be put on pause when Emily is kidnaped by automatons.
I love Finley but, in this book, I felt she took the backseat as the lead protagonist, especially for Mila, I would have preferred the author just split the book up, and focused on Mila and Jack Dandy on another book, it would have made things less confusing.
Overall I did enjoy the book, I love this characters and I will miss them like crazy, the world building was great as always

The plot of this one moves along rather quickly. I was surprised at how fast I devoured the book and was never bored or wanting to put the book down. I'm most definitely eager for the next book, it's sure to be intense!

Out of all the books in this series so far, I think this one has got to be my favorite! I just loved it! I really liked the premise of the book with poor Emily being kidnapped and being forced to do an awful thing, just because the Machinist wants to be resurrected, essentially.

As I’ve mentioned previously, I really like the characters in this series. And in this book we meet a new character, Mila, who I really loved. She was so sweet and innocent and I loved her relationship with Emily. And don’t get me started on where this girl even came from, because that was very interesting. I’m not gonna go into it cause spoilers, but it was something that I was not expecting and it was kinda weird. I’ll just say that. Lol.

Another relationship I really liked was the one between Finley and Griffin, of course. They just had all these sweet moments I really loved. And I am SO glad that the love triangle is no more! That was the worst! I just don’t see what they see in Jack Dandy! I don’t get it! And even though Finley is with Griffin now, she considers Jack a close friend and I’m not sure why. And she says that even though she might not love him, she still likes his attention? GIRL NO. Just stop. I seriously do not get what's so attractive about this guy! Anyway, I just don’t like him 🤷‍♀️

But overall, I liked the book and the lack of love triangle 😁 I feel like it went by really fast because the pacing was just great. It went from one thing to another, it had great action, and it was just an intriguing story. Not to mention that I really liked the romance. Plus, we learn some really interesting things about Emily’s past that really made me feel her, but it makes you understand why she is the way she is. Anyway, I’m really looking forward to seeing how all this is gonna end.

Requested and downloaded this book back in 2013 with every intention of reading it but then it expired on my device before I had the chance. Have felt bad about that and as a result haven't wanted to leave a review but with more and more publishers relying on Feedback ratings I need to clear out some of these older titles in my queue.

This book was amazing, and while it has been a few years since I read it, I still remember how happy I was at the ending.

The covers, as always in this series, was gorgeous and I miss this series terribly!

a nice continuation of kady's series, so fun and steampunky I love how each character has their own talents and strengths, No damsels needing rescue here

I feel meg about this book. I really enjoyed the first two in the series but this one fell sort of flat. All the action happened at the end, there were things left unfinished, and the actual ending after the climax happened (about 15 pages from the end) was just blah. It did set up the next book quite well though, and I will read it as soon as I get a chance and am in the mood.

Sadly, overall, this one was a bit of a disappointment. However, it could also be from the fact that I couldn't get into the book and it took me the better part of a year to finish reading...

I absolutely love this series. It is fast, fun, romantic and has tons of action scenes. I love that its steampunk and the entire series has had me glued to the pages. What a wonderful series.

~ Amy

Sorry for the inconvenience in taking so long for my feedback, but I never finished this book and no longer have access to it.

I really enjoy this series for the friendship, the action, and the romance. I love the four main characters - how they're different form everyone else, their sense of loyalty, and their desire to do the right thing. While I like the mechanics on the series, the automatons raise numerous ethical questions. I can't wait until the next book to see how it all ends.

04
Four stars: More Jack and more romance!

Since the gang returned from New York, Griffin has been haunted and quiet. He refuses to share what is bothering him, and everyone, especially Finley Jane is growing frustrated. When Jack Dandy stops by to report the sighting of a mysterious automaton in a crate in the bowels of the city, Finely and Emily decide to investigate, as they are ever weary that the Machinist may not be dead since his body was not recovered. The search turns up nothing. Right after the girls return, Emily is kidnapped and everyone, especially Sam, is sick with worry. They will stop at nothing to get her back. Meanwhile, Emily is held captive by the very automatons that were created by the Machinist. She is forced to make an unspeakable choice. Can she somehow outwit this vile villain? Will the gang get to her in time?

What I Liked:

I was excited to meet up with Finley Jane, Griffin, Emily and Sam once again. The gang is always ready for adventure and they are sure to entertain. This time out, they are once again faced with the vile evil of the Machinist. What does it take to get rid of this guy? He has cooked up another terrifying plot and it will take incredible strength and courage to stop him. What they don't count on is one of his creations metamorphosing into a nearly human girl! If you are a fan of this series, you will certainly enjoy this latest installment!
Finally! The romance between Finley Jane and Griffin stops dancing around and goes somewhere. At first, I was frustrated when the book opened and the pair had gone back to their former ways of flirting and second guessing their feelings. Thankfully, they get past that and the romance finally ignites! If you have been anxiously awaiting more from the romance, I think you will be happy with this!
I always love all the creative steampunk gadgets and gizmos that Ms. Cross presents in her world. This time around we get an automaton that is becoming nearly human thanks to the influx of organites. A machine that looks and acts like a human and even begins to understand emotions brings up a whole lot of intriguing ideas to ponder. Such as at what point does a machine who looks, thinks and acts human cease to be a machine? I was interested in watching this automaton character evolve and grow. I think she will be an interesting addition to the gang. I can't wait to follow her story in the next book!
I am a big fan of Jack Dandy. I was so pleased to find that he played a much bigger part in this book. This series would not be the same without all the witty commentary from Jack. It seems,though, that he is hiding a few secrets of his own such as his origins and true identity. He is such a deliciously dark character! I love when he is in the scene because he always makes me smile. I hope he continues to play a bigger role in this series.
The relationship between Sam and Emily is so sweet and I was happy to see it evolve in this book as well. I love that these two are so altruistic when it comes to the other. Sam or Emily would truly die for each other.
The villain, The Machinist, and his army of automatons is even more creepy this time around. The automaton Queen Elizabeth returns a bit damaged, say her head is askew, and she is accompanied by a spider like creature with a doll's head. The whole automaton army was fascinating and scary at the same time!
One thing that I love about this series is that it has such a great cast of characters and I enjoy the way they interact and work together. For instance, Finley and Sam have a bit of a love hate relationship. I think it stems from jealousy and the two are always sparring, but when it really matters, they put aside their differences and fight. Ms. Cross knows how to write well developed and likable characters.
The world building in this series is well done and fun. I love all the interesting steampunk gadgets and gizmos in these books. If you have not yet tried a steampunk book, this is an excellent series to pick up.
I thoroughly appreciate that so far each and every one of these books has resolved with a satisfactory conclusion, and that was indeed the case here. Everything ties up at the end except for one big dangling story thread that will be followed up in the next book. These days books in the YA genre without cliffhangers are hard to come by, so I am thrilled when I can read a series and enjoy that it won't end with a cruel cliffhanger. Also there are not any love triangles in this series either.
And The Not So Much:

For some reason the action in this one was not as thrilling or exciting. In fact, there are very few fight scenes comparatively, and I especially found that I missed seeing Finley Jane strap on that steel corset and kick some butt. Thankfully, the ending culminates with an action packed scene so it was worth the wait.
Jasper returns for this book, but he is moody and quiet and really doesn't play much of a role. I actually missed the handsome cowboy and his antics. Toward the end, he reunites with Wildcat, but what the two do together is a mystery. There is just a brief mention that they are off on a mission, but there are no further details. I was a bit perplexed by this development and wondered what was going on.
I was a bit disappointed that there was not more steampunk gadgets and gizmos in this one. Usually, Emily is coming up with some great inventions, but this time there aren't as many. This is not a big deal at all, just a personal preference.
The Girl with the Iron Touch is a great addition to the series. It brings back all the characters that you have grown to know and love from the previous books along with a heaping dose of Jack Dandy! If you are new to the steampunk and are looking to dip your toe into the genre, I would highly recommend this series as a starting point. It has great characters, detailed world building, fun gadgets and gizmos and terrific story lines. This is a series I can recommend with confidence since it refrains from cliffhangers and love triangles and is just a flat out good time!

Favorite Quotations:

"If it were possible for people to be the weather, then Sam Morgan would be a thundercloud----dark, tumultuous, as gorgeous as he was intimidating."

"Sam Morgan was the kind of fellow who would lie down and die for the girl he love but he did not know how to actually voice his feelings."

"To her surprise, he laughed. "What would I do without you to give me clarity?" "I imagine you'd suffocate yourself by shoving your head too far up your own backside."

"What is it with mad scientist buggers who want to stick brains in places they don't belong?"



I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.

If you missed it check out my interview with Sam from The Girl with the Iron Touch Tour.

My apologies; if I requested this book, it appears that due to family commitments I was not able to read it before the book was archived. I'm sorry it has lingered this long.

When Emily is kidnapped Finley is forced to seek help in dubious places. A great addition to the series as we introduce the moral dilemma posed by relying on jack and we see further development of a but of a love triangle. One of my favourite steampunk series'.