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Steamed #1
Steamed
When one of Jack Fletcher's nanoelectromechanical system experiments is jostled in his lab, the resulting explosion sends him into the world of his favorite novel-a seemingly Victorian-era world of steampower, aether guns, corsets, and goggles. A world where the lovely and intrepid Octavia Pye captains her airship straight into his heart...
328 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
Katie MacAlister
109 books5,918 followersFor as long as she can remember, Katie MacAlister has loved reading. Growing up in a family where a weekly visit to the library was a given, Katie spent much of her time with her nose buried in a book. Despite her love for novels, she didn't think of writing them until she was contracted to write a non-fiction book about software. Since her editor refused to allow her to include either witty dialogue or love scenes in the software book, Katie swiftly resolved to switch to fiction, where she could indulge in world building, tormenting characters, and falling madly in love with all her heroes.
Two years after she started writing novels, Katie sold her first romance, Noble Intentions. More than thirty books followed during the years after Noble's publication. Her novels have been translated into numerous languages, been recorded as audiobooks, received several awards, and placed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. She also writes for the young adult audience as Katie Maxwell, and for the mystery world as Kate Marsh.
Katie lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and dogs, and can often be found lurking around online.
Two years after she started writing novels, Katie sold her first romance, Noble Intentions. More than thirty books followed during the years after Noble's publication. Her novels have been translated into numerous languages, been recorded as audiobooks, received several awards, and placed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. She also writes for the young adult audience as Katie Maxwell, and for the mystery world as Kate Marsh.
Katie lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and dogs, and can often be found lurking around online.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 335 reviews
July 30, 2011
Ah….another of my life’s shitty decisions. Given the choice between reading this book or having one of my BERRIES ripped off by a rabid wolverine, I went with what I thought was the safe selection and read this book. Hindsight is now screaming a foul wind of obscenities at me because I didn’t go with the partial EUNUCHectomy.
This is one literary baby that should have been family planned a little better and prevented prior to conception. PAINFUL debilitating aneurysm doesn’t begin to describe the level of discomfort this caused me. Therefore, I am going to use the rest of this review to CATHARTICIZE the suckness away.
Rather than go through a long description of what I gathered was supposed to be the plot of steamLESS punk “snuff the prose” film, I thought I would share with you the opening gut shot of this tragedy...Here is how this barrel of [insert funny word for suicide inducing garbage] begins.
Now I have read some bad books. Some of them have made me want to find the author and do this…
...I have read some others that have even made me want to do this…
….but rare indeed is the book that can crank the THROTTLE throttle high enough to make me want to bring a little extra to the slap application…
...CONGRATULATIONS "STEAMED" you are rare indeed.
In addition to that clunky opening, just about every other “peeve” in the whole "pet" store was found somewhere in the schlock fest. Here are a couple of the oldies but still suckies that tested my gag reflex:
The line “I could tell you, but I would have to kill you, which is usually enough to have me reaching for the whiskey bottle and valium to take the edge off.
The “have you rescued any damsels in distress” question asked of our manly main man, at which I think I popped a blood vessel, but I can’t be sure because my memory is a bit foggy during that period.
The word “totally” and the phrase “oh my gosh” paired together in the same sentence…NUFF SAID!!.
Plus, many, many more. I want to finish this review with two things. One is a stronger than usual recommendation not to read this because I care. Second, my dislike for this book has led me to reconsider some of the rage I ahve spilled onto some other books. Therefore, I would like to offer a few partial apologies to some of my previous one star targets:
Stephanie Miller: It turns out Twilight wasn’t THAT bad.
Dean Koontz: Dead and Alive could have been a lot worse.
Paul Kemp: Your Star Trek book Deceived (Star Wars: The Old Republic, #2) is starting to look pretty good.
John Norman: Tarnsman of Gor wasn’t the end of life as we know it.
And Frank Miller:....NO, All-Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder, Volume 1 still BLOWS!!!
This is one literary baby that should have been family planned a little better and prevented prior to conception. PAINFUL debilitating aneurysm doesn’t begin to describe the level of discomfort this caused me. Therefore, I am going to use the rest of this review to CATHARTICIZE the suckness away.
Rather than go through a long description of what I gathered was supposed to be the plot of steamLESS punk “snuff the prose” film, I thought I would share with you the opening gut shot of this tragedy...Here is how this barrel of [insert funny word for suicide inducing garbage] begins.
’Good Morning, Jack. Is that a molecular detector in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?’...C’mon, people…somebody come out from behind the curtain and tell me I was just punked. I would actually welcome an Ashton Kutcher sighting at this point.
The voice that called out as I passed was female, soft, and sultry as hell. I paused to toss a grin at one of the two women who were occupying the big kidney-shaped desk that graced the front lobby of the Nordic Tech building. ‘Morning, Karen. Would it be against human resources policy if I was to tell you how much I liked that top?’
The red-haired receptionist giggled and leaned forward, giving me a better-than-normal view of her cleavage in the skimpy tank top that she liked to wear on casual-dress Fridays. ‘Probably, but I’m not going to tell anyone. You know my rule, Jack.’
'What happens in reception, stays in reception?' I asked, winking.
She giggled again. ‘You’re so naughty. You look really yummy yourself in khaki. Is that the new Airship Pirates shirt?’
Now I have read some bad books. Some of them have made me want to find the author and do this…
...I have read some others that have even made me want to do this…
….but rare indeed is the book that can crank the THROTTLE throttle high enough to make me want to bring a little extra to the slap application…
...CONGRATULATIONS "STEAMED" you are rare indeed.
In addition to that clunky opening, just about every other “peeve” in the whole "pet" store was found somewhere in the schlock fest. Here are a couple of the oldies but still suckies that tested my gag reflex:
The line “I could tell you, but I would have to kill you, which is usually enough to have me reaching for the whiskey bottle and valium to take the edge off.
The “have you rescued any damsels in distress” question asked of our manly main man, at which I think I popped a blood vessel, but I can’t be sure because my memory is a bit foggy during that period.
The word “totally” and the phrase “oh my gosh” paired together in the same sentence…NUFF SAID!!.
Plus, many, many more. I want to finish this review with two things. One is a stronger than usual recommendation not to read this because I care. Second, my dislike for this book has led me to reconsider some of the rage I ahve spilled onto some other books. Therefore, I would like to offer a few partial apologies to some of my previous one star targets:
Stephanie Miller: It turns out Twilight wasn’t THAT bad.
Dean Koontz: Dead and Alive could have been a lot worse.
Paul Kemp: Your Star Trek book Deceived (Star Wars: The Old Republic, #2) is starting to look pretty good.
John Norman: Tarnsman of Gor wasn’t the end of life as we know it.
And Frank Miller:....NO, All-Star Batman & Robin the Boy Wonder, Volume 1 still BLOWS!!!
October 19, 2010
Imagine yourself at work at your desk. Your crazy sister comes up to you with yet another one of her plans to hook you up with a girl. She shakes a canister, puts it down on your work, and poof - the whole world changes.
Steamed is Katie MacAlister’s steampunk romance novel. I must admit, I was a little perplexed by all the negative reviews for this novel. I really enjoyed it, as my updates can attest. I think I may have enjoyed this book more than the average Katie MacAlister reader because I had never read any of her books before. I didn’t have any expectations, except that this was a steampunk romance.
As a steampunk romance, I think that this novel met my expectations. There were the usual steam powered contraptions – dirigibles, a type of bicycle, carriages, etc. But – this novel was set in 2010, not in Victorian times. In fact, it was the exact same date that Jack and Hallie’s world went poof! Ever neat! So, you have a Victorian world complete with the corsets and gadgets in 2010. You have the Victorian formalities. But the world is different. The Moghuls are trying to take over Western Europe, the Black Hand is a revolutionary group, and William is the Emperor of England and Prussia.
I enjoyed the characters in this book. The main characters – Jack Fletcher and Octavia Pye are very interesting. Jack is a nanoelectrical engineer from our world. Jack is a little bit of a geek. He loves graphic novels and computers. Octavia is a female airship captain. Jack is instantly attracted to Octavia. Once Octavia figures out that Jack is not a pirate or a thuggee (love that word!), she begins to give into her feelings for Jack. These two characters have a rather entertaining love life and are rather busy during most of the book.
The secondary characters are amusing. Hallelujah (Hallie) Norris is Jack’s sister. She loves taking up causes, any cause will do. Mr. Llama is a rather mysterious member of Octavia’s crew. He appears and disappears at will, however we are not told exactly what he is. I loved Francisco, Octavia’s drama queen steward. Francisco probably had some of the best lines in the book.
I also found that this novel was hysterical. Katie MacAlister has a really neat sense of humor. There were a lot of word plays and one liners to keep me giggling and updating my status regularly.
I recommend this book for a fun take on a steampunk romance. I hope she does write a sequel to this book. I’m dying to find out more about Octavia’s adopted family.
Steamed is Katie MacAlister’s steampunk romance novel. I must admit, I was a little perplexed by all the negative reviews for this novel. I really enjoyed it, as my updates can attest. I think I may have enjoyed this book more than the average Katie MacAlister reader because I had never read any of her books before. I didn’t have any expectations, except that this was a steampunk romance.
As a steampunk romance, I think that this novel met my expectations. There were the usual steam powered contraptions – dirigibles, a type of bicycle, carriages, etc. But – this novel was set in 2010, not in Victorian times. In fact, it was the exact same date that Jack and Hallie’s world went poof! Ever neat! So, you have a Victorian world complete with the corsets and gadgets in 2010. You have the Victorian formalities. But the world is different. The Moghuls are trying to take over Western Europe, the Black Hand is a revolutionary group, and William is the Emperor of England and Prussia.
I enjoyed the characters in this book. The main characters – Jack Fletcher and Octavia Pye are very interesting. Jack is a nanoelectrical engineer from our world. Jack is a little bit of a geek. He loves graphic novels and computers. Octavia is a female airship captain. Jack is instantly attracted to Octavia. Once Octavia figures out that Jack is not a pirate or a thuggee (love that word!), she begins to give into her feelings for Jack. These two characters have a rather entertaining love life and are rather busy during most of the book.
The secondary characters are amusing. Hallelujah (Hallie) Norris is Jack’s sister. She loves taking up causes, any cause will do. Mr. Llama is a rather mysterious member of Octavia’s crew. He appears and disappears at will, however we are not told exactly what he is. I loved Francisco, Octavia’s drama queen steward. Francisco probably had some of the best lines in the book.
I also found that this novel was hysterical. Katie MacAlister has a really neat sense of humor. There were a lot of word plays and one liners to keep me giggling and updating my status regularly.
I recommend this book for a fun take on a steampunk romance. I hope she does write a sequel to this book. I’m dying to find out more about Octavia’s adopted family.
February 22, 2011
I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for steampunk, and I have been for over a decade, so when I saw a steampunk trashy romance, I fell for it. That'll teach me. What would've otherwise been a mediocre story line was undermined by the square-peg-into-round-hole smushing-on of a "steampunk" premise. The problem is that, if you want people to think your book fits into a genre (possibly with the exception of vampires), the best way to do this is NOT to use the word on every other page. It's also not a good idea to blatantly address your target audience's other possible activities, as the hero does by assuming that he's landed in the middle of a "con" with "cosplay" (yes, she actually has him say that) when he's suddenly "zapped" into an alternate Earth. Asking the heroine why she wears her corset *under* her clothes receives the only reasonable moment in the book; she responds that it's her underwear and who the hell would wear it on the outside?
The author also displays a very bizarre agenda re: the Quakers. Her hero is a self-announced Quaker, and people comment on his faith in a way that suggests that he's wearing a "Hello, I'm a Quaker" badge in plain sight. All of these comments are meant to provide openings for the hero to "educate" people about what is or isn't "allowed" by Quakerism, but it's ridiculously artificial and gives a different, almost negative response, close to "Shut up about the Quakers already--they're perfectly normal, but you don't need to hammer me in the head with it!"
I can count the number of books that were so irritating that I almost didn't finish them on one hand. If a book goes unfinished in my life, it's because it gets lost or recalled to the library, for the most part. But I almost ditched this one. She writes perfectly well, and like I said, the story didn't completely suck, but pandering to a niche audience *has* to be done with more style.
The author also displays a very bizarre agenda re: the Quakers. Her hero is a self-announced Quaker, and people comment on his faith in a way that suggests that he's wearing a "Hello, I'm a Quaker" badge in plain sight. All of these comments are meant to provide openings for the hero to "educate" people about what is or isn't "allowed" by Quakerism, but it's ridiculously artificial and gives a different, almost negative response, close to "Shut up about the Quakers already--they're perfectly normal, but you don't need to hammer me in the head with it!"
I can count the number of books that were so irritating that I almost didn't finish them on one hand. If a book goes unfinished in my life, it's because it gets lost or recalled to the library, for the most part. But I almost ditched this one. She writes perfectly well, and like I said, the story didn't completely suck, but pandering to a niche audience *has* to be done with more style.
August 9, 2010
***Spoiler Alert***I’m going to preface my review by saying that I read a lot of romances. I would even venture to say that I’ve read thousands since I was a teen in every genre: Historical, contemporary, paranormal, suspense, you name it. Over the years I’ve learned that my expectations necessarily need to be adjusted according to the tone and style of the text, but to say that I was disappointed by this book is an understatement, and what follows is a bit of a rant. I fully acknowledge that I am possibly being too hard on a novel that is meant to be playful and not taken too seriously, but I also believe that even the most playful literature needs to be plausible with regards to the behavior of the characters. I read because I love to take journeys in my imagination, and I don’t like it when I feel myself jarred back to reality, especially because the characters have chosen a line of action that feels inconsistent. I would never suggest that a book shouldn’t be read, but I will offer my honest opinion and hope that it will be taken in the spirit it is being offered.
The basic idea of Steamed: A Steampunk Romance revolves around Jack Fletcher and his sister Hallie, who are transported from our world to a parallel universe because of an accident caused by Hallie’s very unwise and silly behavior in Jack’s lab. The year is the same, 2010, but Jack and Hallie wake up in an England that is still Victorian in appearance and scientific technology. Jack and Hallie find themselves on the Tesla, a dirigible captained by Octavia Emmaline Pye and her small crew of misfits. Jack embraces the change of venue and takes his presence in an alternate universe in stride—it’s his geeky, steampunk- convention-loving dream come true, after all, and he immediately begins to flirt with Octavia. By contrast, Hallie broadly laments what has happened because it means being cut off from the things she loves most: The internet, her laptop, and her cellphone. Note to self: Please God, may I never have family or friends like these, who would give their loved ones hardly any thought if they were ever suddenly separated. I know this book is meant to be a lighthearted, irreverent erotic romp, but Jack and Hallie’s emotions don’t feel real. Jack spends the first chapter of the book fending off the amorous advances of his female coworkers (which feels like an attempt to convince the reader of how attractive Jack is) and the rest of the book feels like an excuse to have Jack and Octavia talk dirty to each other and then have sex. I like a good sex scene as much as the next girl, but I need more plot than this, and I need characters that behave with at least marginally realistic behavior.
Another major issue that must be addressed is structural: The book is told in first person throughout, but the chapters change from Octavia’s point of view to Jack’s with no warning. I sometimes found myself a full page into a new chapter before I realized the narrative voice had changed, and had to start over to reorient myself. I don’t really have any objections to stories told in the first person, but I have a serious problem with a mass market paperback that is deliberately confusing to the reader. The editing feels heavy handed and clumsy, and the quality of the overall story suffers because of it.
As far as plot goes, let’s just discuss for a moment the constant references to steampunk throughout the book. Recently, blogger G.D. Falksen wrote in an entry about worldbuilding in steampunk novels, “…it’s important to remember that a steampunk setting, like any setting, should feel plausible and internally consistent. One of the biggest risks a writer new to steampunk fiction faces is trying to overstate the point. When you start trying to “prove” that the setting is steampunk, it inevitably feels forced and has the opposite effect.” In other words, the first rule of fight club is that you don’t talk about fight club. This book works so hard to remind the reader that it is a steampunk romance that it is hard for me to believe that anyone who is a true fan of the genre wouldn’t be at least mildly annoyed by the way numerous references throughout the novel both breaks the suspension of disbelief and subtly pokes fun at the people who are true fans and cosplay to any degree. This leads me to believe that this romance was written for people who don’t know what steampunk is, and these readers are basically being presented with a caricature—both of the genre, and the people who embrace it. Thanks, but no thanks. There are better “steamy” romances (Gail Carriger’s The Parasol Protectorate series, Meljean Brook’s The Iron Duke, etc.) that provide steamy romance and sexiness as well as a plot that is meaningful.
While we’re on the topic of odd plot choices, the repeated references to Jack Fletcher being a Quaker should be examined. At one point, I thought these references were a Chekhov’s gun plot device—something obscure in the beginning of the story that becomes important at the end of the story-- but this is not the case. Outside of using Jack’s Quaker status to make certain that the newly formed airship pirates will be nonlethal pirates, this is an unimportant detail that could have been completely left out without harming the overall story. It is as though someone bet Katie MacAlister a hundred bucks that she couldn’t put a Quaker in one of her romances and she took them up on that bet. Ultimately, the concept of warm and fuzzy, conscientious objecting pirates just seems silly and reinforces the disposability of the overall story.
I was also concerned by the treatment of the lead female character. Octavia Pyle is thirty years old, has been with the Southhampton Aerocorps since she was 16, and fought for respect and advancement in a male-dominated field. She is a woman who should, simply by virtue of her rank and experience, be a professional with some level of self-control and awareness of the consequences of her actions. Added to this, she is a member of the secret revolutionary group known as the Black Hand, and her service in this capacity requires her to be a savvy political player who can keep her wits about her to avoid exposure. The minute Jack walks onto her ship, however, she becomes an oversexed bimbo who can’t think straight and who makes one bad decision after the other. She comes across as an incompetent klutz who can be controlled and manipulated easily by her libido, and isn’t convincing as either an airship captain or rebel. I had a hard time generating sympathy for Octavia, especially when she and Jack are endlessly babbling at each other while having wild sex instead of worrying about the fate of the crew or planning their next move. For example, in a forehead slapping move Jack and Octavia engage in wild sex in a secret hallway while waiting for another couple to finish in a nearby bedroom so that they can speak the male of the second pair. Unsurprisingly, Jack and Octavia are caught because they make too much noise. This scene is just one among many that demonstrate Jack’s inability to keep his penis in his pants throughout the story and the general ridiculousness of the plot twists the reader has to endure.
But wait, there’s more! While we’re on the subject of Jack, allow me a moment to laugh over his portrayal as a studly nerd. He’s supposedly a genius and an accomplished nanotechnology engineer with an odd history of accidentally saving the day by stumbling into problem situations. He’s also Nathan Fillion gorgeous, with a rebellious lock of hair that hangs over his forhead. Octavia obsesses over it so much I couldn’t resist putting a reference here! But this hot, brilliant man does nothing remotely brilliant on the Tesla outside of a few references to working with the airship’s engineer to learn the ships systems, and his purpose on Octavia’s vessel seems to be reduced to that of ‘walking erection.’ Oh, a possessive walking erection who has to constantly assert his ownership over Octavia to other men who may, or may not be, her former lovers. By the end of the book I was truly over his boorish behavior--it wasn’t cute or loveable at all—and I kept hoping Octavia would deck him just to shut him up.
The characters in this book remind me of a Ke$ha song (“stop, talk, talk, talking that blah, blah, blah.”) Holy diarrhea of the mouth, Batman! Octavia and Jack spend most of the book enacting barroom flirtation by babbling innuendos and erotic thoughts at each other. Worse, they seem to do it when they most seriously need to focus on the issue at hand and come up with a plan to get themselves and the crew of the Tesla out of the most recent scrape they have landed in. It was seriously eye-rollingly bad at points, and their inane chatter at critical points (i.e., like when they discover that Jack’s sister Hallie has been sentenced to die as a spy) made me alternately angry and disgusted. For all of the reasons I’ve listed above, I found myself getting frustrated and disappointed with the direction the story was going. I’m supposed to like these people and hope for their success? Not likely. While I don’t know if my feelings about this book will necessarily keep me from reading other stories by Katie MacAlister, I do know that I will likely not be encouraging other people to read this one.
The basic idea of Steamed: A Steampunk Romance revolves around Jack Fletcher and his sister Hallie, who are transported from our world to a parallel universe because of an accident caused by Hallie’s very unwise and silly behavior in Jack’s lab. The year is the same, 2010, but Jack and Hallie wake up in an England that is still Victorian in appearance and scientific technology. Jack and Hallie find themselves on the Tesla, a dirigible captained by Octavia Emmaline Pye and her small crew of misfits. Jack embraces the change of venue and takes his presence in an alternate universe in stride—it’s his geeky, steampunk- convention-loving dream come true, after all, and he immediately begins to flirt with Octavia. By contrast, Hallie broadly laments what has happened because it means being cut off from the things she loves most: The internet, her laptop, and her cellphone. Note to self: Please God, may I never have family or friends like these, who would give their loved ones hardly any thought if they were ever suddenly separated. I know this book is meant to be a lighthearted, irreverent erotic romp, but Jack and Hallie’s emotions don’t feel real. Jack spends the first chapter of the book fending off the amorous advances of his female coworkers (which feels like an attempt to convince the reader of how attractive Jack is) and the rest of the book feels like an excuse to have Jack and Octavia talk dirty to each other and then have sex. I like a good sex scene as much as the next girl, but I need more plot than this, and I need characters that behave with at least marginally realistic behavior.
Another major issue that must be addressed is structural: The book is told in first person throughout, but the chapters change from Octavia’s point of view to Jack’s with no warning. I sometimes found myself a full page into a new chapter before I realized the narrative voice had changed, and had to start over to reorient myself. I don’t really have any objections to stories told in the first person, but I have a serious problem with a mass market paperback that is deliberately confusing to the reader. The editing feels heavy handed and clumsy, and the quality of the overall story suffers because of it.
As far as plot goes, let’s just discuss for a moment the constant references to steampunk throughout the book. Recently, blogger G.D. Falksen wrote in an entry about worldbuilding in steampunk novels, “…it’s important to remember that a steampunk setting, like any setting, should feel plausible and internally consistent. One of the biggest risks a writer new to steampunk fiction faces is trying to overstate the point. When you start trying to “prove” that the setting is steampunk, it inevitably feels forced and has the opposite effect.” In other words, the first rule of fight club is that you don’t talk about fight club. This book works so hard to remind the reader that it is a steampunk romance that it is hard for me to believe that anyone who is a true fan of the genre wouldn’t be at least mildly annoyed by the way numerous references throughout the novel both breaks the suspension of disbelief and subtly pokes fun at the people who are true fans and cosplay to any degree. This leads me to believe that this romance was written for people who don’t know what steampunk is, and these readers are basically being presented with a caricature—both of the genre, and the people who embrace it. Thanks, but no thanks. There are better “steamy” romances (Gail Carriger’s The Parasol Protectorate series, Meljean Brook’s The Iron Duke, etc.) that provide steamy romance and sexiness as well as a plot that is meaningful.
While we’re on the topic of odd plot choices, the repeated references to Jack Fletcher being a Quaker should be examined. At one point, I thought these references were a Chekhov’s gun plot device—something obscure in the beginning of the story that becomes important at the end of the story-- but this is not the case. Outside of using Jack’s Quaker status to make certain that the newly formed airship pirates will be nonlethal pirates, this is an unimportant detail that could have been completely left out without harming the overall story. It is as though someone bet Katie MacAlister a hundred bucks that she couldn’t put a Quaker in one of her romances and she took them up on that bet. Ultimately, the concept of warm and fuzzy, conscientious objecting pirates just seems silly and reinforces the disposability of the overall story.
I was also concerned by the treatment of the lead female character. Octavia Pyle is thirty years old, has been with the Southhampton Aerocorps since she was 16, and fought for respect and advancement in a male-dominated field. She is a woman who should, simply by virtue of her rank and experience, be a professional with some level of self-control and awareness of the consequences of her actions. Added to this, she is a member of the secret revolutionary group known as the Black Hand, and her service in this capacity requires her to be a savvy political player who can keep her wits about her to avoid exposure. The minute Jack walks onto her ship, however, she becomes an oversexed bimbo who can’t think straight and who makes one bad decision after the other. She comes across as an incompetent klutz who can be controlled and manipulated easily by her libido, and isn’t convincing as either an airship captain or rebel. I had a hard time generating sympathy for Octavia, especially when she and Jack are endlessly babbling at each other while having wild sex instead of worrying about the fate of the crew or planning their next move. For example, in a forehead slapping move Jack and Octavia engage in wild sex in a secret hallway while waiting for another couple to finish in a nearby bedroom so that they can speak the male of the second pair. Unsurprisingly, Jack and Octavia are caught because they make too much noise. This scene is just one among many that demonstrate Jack’s inability to keep his penis in his pants throughout the story and the general ridiculousness of the plot twists the reader has to endure.
But wait, there’s more! While we’re on the subject of Jack, allow me a moment to laugh over his portrayal as a studly nerd. He’s supposedly a genius and an accomplished nanotechnology engineer with an odd history of accidentally saving the day by stumbling into problem situations. He’s also Nathan Fillion gorgeous, with a rebellious lock of hair that hangs over his forhead. Octavia obsesses over it so much I couldn’t resist putting a reference here! But this hot, brilliant man does nothing remotely brilliant on the Tesla outside of a few references to working with the airship’s engineer to learn the ships systems, and his purpose on Octavia’s vessel seems to be reduced to that of ‘walking erection.’ Oh, a possessive walking erection who has to constantly assert his ownership over Octavia to other men who may, or may not be, her former lovers. By the end of the book I was truly over his boorish behavior--it wasn’t cute or loveable at all—and I kept hoping Octavia would deck him just to shut him up.
The characters in this book remind me of a Ke$ha song (“stop, talk, talk, talking that blah, blah, blah.”) Holy diarrhea of the mouth, Batman! Octavia and Jack spend most of the book enacting barroom flirtation by babbling innuendos and erotic thoughts at each other. Worse, they seem to do it when they most seriously need to focus on the issue at hand and come up with a plan to get themselves and the crew of the Tesla out of the most recent scrape they have landed in. It was seriously eye-rollingly bad at points, and their inane chatter at critical points (i.e., like when they discover that Jack’s sister Hallie has been sentenced to die as a spy) made me alternately angry and disgusted. For all of the reasons I’ve listed above, I found myself getting frustrated and disappointed with the direction the story was going. I’m supposed to like these people and hope for their success? Not likely. While I don’t know if my feelings about this book will necessarily keep me from reading other stories by Katie MacAlister, I do know that I will likely not be encouraging other people to read this one.
December 4, 2013
There has been a great deal of buzz in regards to Katie MacAlister’s Steamed, a so-called steampunk romance being released today. The main question lies, is Steamed such a book that may jump start steampunk for the romance genre that so many have been waiting for?
If Steamed is any inclination, I would have to say no. Steamed is an alternative universe with a post World War II feel rather then a Victorian Steampunk type setting. There’s a grating amount of times the term “steampunk” is mentioned by the characters, as well as Katie making sure to tell and show in great detail these specific things that must make it so. Honestly, if you take out these very precise rules that make steampunk what it is, what you have is a historical alternate world where the hero and heroine team up to save their country from the enemy. But hey, we have flying ships that run on steam, so this must be a steampunk, right?
Steamed begins in present day 2010, where Dr. Jack Fletcher, a nanoelectrical systems engineer, who has reputation of being a wild ladies’ man. This is so far from the truth, mainly because the rumors about him being compared to an Indiana Jones like hero are false. Jack just happens to be at the right place at the wrong time, and through these bizarre circumstances, he has become larger than life. He’s more comfortable working in his research lab and listening to part steampunk, part goth and part industrial music. By the way, this combination of music sounds like it would be quite painful on the ear drums. And get this- Jack is a Friend, or better known as a Quaker. (I have visions of Indiana Jones meeting the movie Witness, which coincidentally stars both Harrison Ford).
Jack loves everything to do with Steampunk. And he’ll soon become lost in that world he loves so when his sister Hallie comes to visit him at his office and touches something she shouldn’t. She spills a canister full of liquid helium all over an electrical system that sends her and Jack through a portal into another dimension. They end on the airship Tesla under the command of Captain Octavia Pye. Octavia thinks Jack and Hallie are spies, which if they are, may ruin her maiden voyage. There are several female captains in the Southampton Areocorps, but this is the first time Octavia has ever commandeered an airship. There are very important reasons why Octavia must be successful and arrive safely in Rome. Not only does she have to worry about the revolutionary group known as the Black Hand, and their leader Etienne Briel, who she was intimate with, but also the Moghuls who are enemies of the His Imperial Majesty that Octavia serves.
You’d think Jack would freak out more, just like Hallie does, but he loves being in this world. He especially likes Captain Pye, with her luscious red hair and great eye catching chest, as well as her buttoned up dress uniform he would love nothing more to rip off. After Jack explains to Octavia and her crew where he and his sister have come from, they welcome them on board until they can find a way to return them to their own world. Jack is much like a kid in a candy store as he learns about the Tesla and all those wonderful steampunk type gadgets. He also gets to know Octavia very well, where he tries to make his romance reputation, a reality, but only with her. Everything is smooth sailing for Jack as he shows his redheaded captain different ways to loosen up, but then Hallie ends up missing. Octavia must help Jack find his sister before she’s hurt or worse, and stay under the radar of revolutionaries and the emperor himself who Octavia also has had an unfortunate past with.
Steamed was very disappointing. I really was expecting a romance set in a steampunk world. What I read instead was a slap stick, too silly to take serious, let’s fall through the rabbit whole because it will be too ha-ha for words. There was too much fluff, ridiculous amount of conversations and eye rolling action scenes that really didn’t keep my interest. Jack come across too immature for my tastes and his ease at being a strange man in a very strange world, where his main goal is to seduce the proper Octavia grated on my nerves. Octavia wears too many hats, as in, she has multiple disguises and really doesn’t know what she wants to in life. Not only is she an air ship captain, but a revolutionary in secret, who also has been in the beds of many high powered men. I couldn’t get a handle on her motivation for anything. She was also too unrealistic in the way she jumps into Jack’s arms, just because he is a good kisser and the main aggressor sexually. The final last straw that made me want to throw this book across the room is a major twist with Octavia and who she actually is and where she originally has come from.
The first person points of views jump back and forth between Jack and Octavia and the use of the letter “I” becomes very overwhelming and pushes you out of the story. In one paragraph alone, this figure of speech was used eight times. The silliness of the characters and the way they talk and act with one another was another annoyance, especially with Jack and Octavia, as their whole world is crumbling around them, they still have time to engage in a great deal of hanky panky.
I feel like I’ve been duped mainly because Steamed is not a straight up steampunk romance. Just because you throw in flying ships that run on water and steam or have a set of characters with Victorian values and beliefs, does not make it so. If you want to moan and sigh, but not in a good way by what you’re reading, Steamed maybe for you
If Steamed is any inclination, I would have to say no. Steamed is an alternative universe with a post World War II feel rather then a Victorian Steampunk type setting. There’s a grating amount of times the term “steampunk” is mentioned by the characters, as well as Katie making sure to tell and show in great detail these specific things that must make it so. Honestly, if you take out these very precise rules that make steampunk what it is, what you have is a historical alternate world where the hero and heroine team up to save their country from the enemy. But hey, we have flying ships that run on steam, so this must be a steampunk, right?
Steamed begins in present day 2010, where Dr. Jack Fletcher, a nanoelectrical systems engineer, who has reputation of being a wild ladies’ man. This is so far from the truth, mainly because the rumors about him being compared to an Indiana Jones like hero are false. Jack just happens to be at the right place at the wrong time, and through these bizarre circumstances, he has become larger than life. He’s more comfortable working in his research lab and listening to part steampunk, part goth and part industrial music. By the way, this combination of music sounds like it would be quite painful on the ear drums. And get this- Jack is a Friend, or better known as a Quaker. (I have visions of Indiana Jones meeting the movie Witness, which coincidentally stars both Harrison Ford).
Jack loves everything to do with Steampunk. And he’ll soon become lost in that world he loves so when his sister Hallie comes to visit him at his office and touches something she shouldn’t. She spills a canister full of liquid helium all over an electrical system that sends her and Jack through a portal into another dimension. They end on the airship Tesla under the command of Captain Octavia Pye. Octavia thinks Jack and Hallie are spies, which if they are, may ruin her maiden voyage. There are several female captains in the Southampton Areocorps, but this is the first time Octavia has ever commandeered an airship. There are very important reasons why Octavia must be successful and arrive safely in Rome. Not only does she have to worry about the revolutionary group known as the Black Hand, and their leader Etienne Briel, who she was intimate with, but also the Moghuls who are enemies of the His Imperial Majesty that Octavia serves.
You’d think Jack would freak out more, just like Hallie does, but he loves being in this world. He especially likes Captain Pye, with her luscious red hair and great eye catching chest, as well as her buttoned up dress uniform he would love nothing more to rip off. After Jack explains to Octavia and her crew where he and his sister have come from, they welcome them on board until they can find a way to return them to their own world. Jack is much like a kid in a candy store as he learns about the Tesla and all those wonderful steampunk type gadgets. He also gets to know Octavia very well, where he tries to make his romance reputation, a reality, but only with her. Everything is smooth sailing for Jack as he shows his redheaded captain different ways to loosen up, but then Hallie ends up missing. Octavia must help Jack find his sister before she’s hurt or worse, and stay under the radar of revolutionaries and the emperor himself who Octavia also has had an unfortunate past with.
Steamed was very disappointing. I really was expecting a romance set in a steampunk world. What I read instead was a slap stick, too silly to take serious, let’s fall through the rabbit whole because it will be too ha-ha for words. There was too much fluff, ridiculous amount of conversations and eye rolling action scenes that really didn’t keep my interest. Jack come across too immature for my tastes and his ease at being a strange man in a very strange world, where his main goal is to seduce the proper Octavia grated on my nerves. Octavia wears too many hats, as in, she has multiple disguises and really doesn’t know what she wants to in life. Not only is she an air ship captain, but a revolutionary in secret, who also has been in the beds of many high powered men. I couldn’t get a handle on her motivation for anything. She was also too unrealistic in the way she jumps into Jack’s arms, just because he is a good kisser and the main aggressor sexually. The final last straw that made me want to throw this book across the room is a major twist with Octavia and who she actually is and where she originally has come from.
The first person points of views jump back and forth between Jack and Octavia and the use of the letter “I” becomes very overwhelming and pushes you out of the story. In one paragraph alone, this figure of speech was used eight times. The silliness of the characters and the way they talk and act with one another was another annoyance, especially with Jack and Octavia, as their whole world is crumbling around them, they still have time to engage in a great deal of hanky panky.
I feel like I’ve been duped mainly because Steamed is not a straight up steampunk romance. Just because you throw in flying ships that run on water and steam or have a set of characters with Victorian values and beliefs, does not make it so. If you want to moan and sigh, but not in a good way by what you’re reading, Steamed maybe for you
November 30, 2010
Utterly ridiculous...save your money and time. Let me just tell you what I didn't like since there is really nothing that I did like. The world itself was underdeveloped and frankly just ridiculous. For anyone to be calling this a steam punk novel and introducing this book to new readers of the genre as steam punk is very misleading and unfair to good steam punk novels such as Boneshaker. The world itself was hard to believe but so too were the charters, our hero had a lot of awards for deeds of heroism yet he came across as a wimp in the book a whiny one at that. It was hard to connect the two conflicting views. Our heroine was to be a strong fierce woman who defies convention and becomes the first woman to lead a ship. Yet her crew disrespects her, defies her orders and she just shrugs it off. Its hard to believe that such a woman can not only lead her ship successfully but also have enough gumption to stand up against society.
I also had a problem with the narrative voice, the story was told from both the hero's and heroine point of view. It made it hard for me to connect with the novel Olivia seemed to 'talk' up all the novel.
So in my humble opinion this book would have been better told in a third person narrative especially since it is to be a romance the world needs a lot more development and thought put into it so it can seem less like a cartoon and more believable.
I also had a problem with the narrative voice, the story was told from both the hero's and heroine point of view. It made it hard for me to connect with the novel Olivia seemed to 'talk' up all the novel.
So in my humble opinion this book would have been better told in a third person narrative especially since it is to be a romance the world needs a lot more development and thought put into it so it can seem less like a cartoon and more believable.
April 16, 2010
3.2
This book wasn't groundbreaking or amazing enough to move mountains but it did the job. It was fresh, light and sexy.
If you like romance with your steampunk and a bit of physics you should like this book. It's a good beach read.
Some drawbacks:
The leads were constantly horny. Which would've been fine if there hadn't been two major instances in which having sex was clearly not the answer. Also, when your sister gets kidnapped in a strange land - is your first action to have sex?
Octavia's history, wasn't too shocking and wasn't necessary. Shouldn't have added that twist, it didn't add to anything.
Hallie, who has an awesome name (Hallelujah), started off pretty cool but quickly became the hysterical female which drove me batty. I was sort of happy when we didn't hear from her for a good hundred or so pages.
Octavia was a pretty good character but could've been made even better if she knew how to command her people a little better. Francisco would not have lasted long with his behavior had she been a little stronger.
Jack, brilliant, sexy and always thinking with his nether regions. As a brilliant engineer, one would have to wonder how he didn't come up with more things that could've made the Tesla better?
The mystery of how the crew came together at the end or how William knew what to do is still up in the air.
This book wasn't groundbreaking or amazing enough to move mountains but it did the job. It was fresh, light and sexy.
If you like romance with your steampunk and a bit of physics you should like this book. It's a good beach read.
Some drawbacks:
The leads were constantly horny. Which would've been fine if there hadn't been two major instances in which having sex was clearly not the answer. Also, when your sister gets kidnapped in a strange land - is your first action to have sex?
Octavia's history, wasn't too shocking and wasn't necessary. Shouldn't have added that twist, it didn't add to anything.
Hallie, who has an awesome name (Hallelujah), started off pretty cool but quickly became the hysterical female which drove me batty. I was sort of happy when we didn't hear from her for a good hundred or so pages.
Octavia was a pretty good character but could've been made even better if she knew how to command her people a little better. Francisco would not have lasted long with his behavior had she been a little stronger.
Jack, brilliant, sexy and always thinking with his nether regions. As a brilliant engineer, one would have to wonder how he didn't come up with more things that could've made the Tesla better?
The mystery of how the crew came together at the end or how William knew what to do is still up in the air.
June 5, 2016
Terrible. Absolutely terrible.
I will be the first to admit that I am not that well versed in steampunk culture, but I know enough to be aware that there’s no way this book should be labeled as steampunk…and no, mentioning the word steampunk as many times as humanly possible doesn't make it so. Also, airships and goggles do not automatically make something steampunk either.
But even worse, this book shouldn't even be called a romance in my opinion. In a romance book, one is supposed to root for the couple to get together. I found that impossible to do with this book. Neither Jack nor Octavia came off as all that likable, nor did either feel like fully formed characters, more like one dimensional caricatures. I didn't feel that either of them loved the other, lusted after each other, yes, but not love. And even the lusting after each other I didn't get.
Jack...oh my god, I don't even know where to begin with him. He was the one of the most insufferably chauvinistic characters I have encountered in a book in quite some time. And he's supposed to be the male romantic lead? Give me a break! He pretty much treats Octavia as the 'helpless female', and despite the fact that she's a freakin' airship captain who managed just fine before he suddenly showed up on the scene, seems to think that he has to rush in without knowing or understanding what's going on and protect her from everything and everyone. He did everything but tell her not to worry her pretty little head about it. In one laughable scene he gets a warlord (or something--I think my eyes were glazing over by this point) to stop attacking Octavia's ship by tackling said warlord (who was armed with a rifle no less) and brandishing a crowbar. Oh, and did I mention that before he set off on this little adventure he actually shouted "Yippie ki-yay, mother******' as if he were Bruce Willis in 'Die Hard'? The worst part about this whole scenario? IT WORKED! The warlord and his minions flee. I was torn between flinging the book at the wall or dissolving in a fit of laughter. Want to know one of my 'favorite' Jack lines *she says sarcastically while rolling her eyes* from later in the book? Here it is:
"And before you get all prickly again and tell me that you can take care of yourself, let me remind you that I'm the man in this relationship, and we like to do the protecting when it's called for."
I kid you not. *rages*
He pretty much treats Octavia as if she were just a sexual plaything, constantly ogling her chest and backside. He's also possessive and jealous to the point of creepiness. When he finally tells Octavia he loves her, but not to expect it to last because his relationships never seem to (gee Jack...I wonder why?), and she responds by saying she's fond of him, he becomes quite angry and vows that he will make her love him. How does he plan to do this, you ask? By treating her to his magical sexings, of course!
I swear, I am not making this up.
Oh...and how random was the Quaker thing? Seriously?
Octavia, I guess, is intended to be a strong female character, but it just didn't fly with me. She comes off as totally spineless. At one point, she actually sits there and listens while her some of her crew (and Jack) rate her body parts:
Crew guy: "Ye've a nice plump arse, and a pair o' ripe titties that fair make a man's cods tighten."
Her response to all of this is to glare at them. She glares. This woman is supposed to be leading these people, you cannot tell me she'd get any respect from any of them by letting herself be subjected to that kind of appraisal. She just pretty much shrugs it off. It was a very uncomfortable scene to read...really just quite icky.
And speaking of icky, let's just move on to the sex scenes shall we? I've read a lot of sex scenes in my time--some tame, some quite graphic--and I have to say that these were probably the most un-sexy sex scenes ever. Also, if a man--during an intimate moment--referred to my breasts as my 'boobies', I think that would totally put the kibosh on the sexy times for me. Just sayin'.
The world building is very sparse, the storyline is muddled and boring...this book was just a mess.
Oh, and the 'big twist' at the end was just weird and unbelievable.
I will be the first to admit that I am not that well versed in steampunk culture, but I know enough to be aware that there’s no way this book should be labeled as steampunk…and no, mentioning the word steampunk as many times as humanly possible doesn't make it so. Also, airships and goggles do not automatically make something steampunk either.
But even worse, this book shouldn't even be called a romance in my opinion. In a romance book, one is supposed to root for the couple to get together. I found that impossible to do with this book. Neither Jack nor Octavia came off as all that likable, nor did either feel like fully formed characters, more like one dimensional caricatures. I didn't feel that either of them loved the other, lusted after each other, yes, but not love. And even the lusting after each other I didn't get.
Jack...oh my god, I don't even know where to begin with him. He was the one of the most insufferably chauvinistic characters I have encountered in a book in quite some time. And he's supposed to be the male romantic lead? Give me a break! He pretty much treats Octavia as the 'helpless female', and despite the fact that she's a freakin' airship captain who managed just fine before he suddenly showed up on the scene, seems to think that he has to rush in without knowing or understanding what's going on and protect her from everything and everyone. He did everything but tell her not to worry her pretty little head about it. In one laughable scene he gets a warlord (or something--I think my eyes were glazing over by this point) to stop attacking Octavia's ship by tackling said warlord (who was armed with a rifle no less) and brandishing a crowbar. Oh, and did I mention that before he set off on this little adventure he actually shouted "Yippie ki-yay, mother******' as if he were Bruce Willis in 'Die Hard'? The worst part about this whole scenario? IT WORKED! The warlord and his minions flee. I was torn between flinging the book at the wall or dissolving in a fit of laughter. Want to know one of my 'favorite' Jack lines *she says sarcastically while rolling her eyes* from later in the book? Here it is:
"And before you get all prickly again and tell me that you can take care of yourself, let me remind you that I'm the man in this relationship, and we like to do the protecting when it's called for."
I kid you not. *rages*
He pretty much treats Octavia as if she were just a sexual plaything, constantly ogling her chest and backside. He's also possessive and jealous to the point of creepiness. When he finally tells Octavia he loves her, but not to expect it to last because his relationships never seem to (gee Jack...I wonder why?), and she responds by saying she's fond of him, he becomes quite angry and vows that he will make her love him. How does he plan to do this, you ask? By treating her to his magical sexings, of course!
I swear, I am not making this up.
Oh...and how random was the Quaker thing? Seriously?
Octavia, I guess, is intended to be a strong female character, but it just didn't fly with me. She comes off as totally spineless. At one point, she actually sits there and listens while her some of her crew (and Jack) rate her body parts:
Crew guy: "Ye've a nice plump arse, and a pair o' ripe titties that fair make a man's cods tighten."
Her response to all of this is to glare at them. She glares. This woman is supposed to be leading these people, you cannot tell me she'd get any respect from any of them by letting herself be subjected to that kind of appraisal. She just pretty much shrugs it off. It was a very uncomfortable scene to read...really just quite icky.
And speaking of icky, let's just move on to the sex scenes shall we? I've read a lot of sex scenes in my time--some tame, some quite graphic--and I have to say that these were probably the most un-sexy sex scenes ever. Also, if a man--during an intimate moment--referred to my breasts as my 'boobies', I think that would totally put the kibosh on the sexy times for me. Just sayin'.
The world building is very sparse, the storyline is muddled and boring...this book was just a mess.
Oh, and the 'big twist' at the end was just weird and unbelievable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2013
I love Katie MacAlister's style of writing, I really do. And I love all of her other books. This one? Not so much.
The formula for her books seems to be strong females who think they are Type A, but when they come across a handsome guy who sweeps them off their feet, they realize that they are really the B to the male A. I have no issue with that.
Strong females, however, don't let all of their employees talk about her "tits". In front of her. All of them. Like she's a giant piece of meat.
This book is less a bodice ripper and more of a how-to on workplace sexual harassment. I actually felt very uncomfortable reading the book. The two main characters were very....no dimensional. I couldn't stand them. There was nothing redeeming about any of the characters, and it seemed as though the entire book was plotted from one awkward sexual scene to another, with the storyline taking the hit. I must have lost the plot somewhere along the way because, unlike all her other books, I am unable to actually tell you the plot beyond "pirates? I think there were pirates".
I am very proud of the fact that I own all of her books. Just not this one. Not anymore.
The formula for her books seems to be strong females who think they are Type A, but when they come across a handsome guy who sweeps them off their feet, they realize that they are really the B to the male A. I have no issue with that.
Strong females, however, don't let all of their employees talk about her "tits". In front of her. All of them. Like she's a giant piece of meat.
This book is less a bodice ripper and more of a how-to on workplace sexual harassment. I actually felt very uncomfortable reading the book. The two main characters were very....no dimensional. I couldn't stand them. There was nothing redeeming about any of the characters, and it seemed as though the entire book was plotted from one awkward sexual scene to another, with the storyline taking the hit. I must have lost the plot somewhere along the way because, unlike all her other books, I am unable to actually tell you the plot beyond "pirates? I think there were pirates".
I am very proud of the fact that I own all of her books. Just not this one. Not anymore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2012
I tried. I tried so hard.
The main character, Jack, is the most insufferable asshole in romance history. He's a nerdy Quaker nanoelectrical engineer who loves cons and Steampunk and hasn't met a woman he can't seduce. Oh and everyone thinks he's Indiana Jones. From the second he's introduced to Octavia, the love interest, he treats her like dirt. Even if you wake up on a dirigible and believe yourself to be at a convention, you should no openly oggle a woman's breasts. You certainly cannot touch them, or her, after she tells you to stop. You should never make a woman so uncomfortable with her body that you force her to button her coat so you'll stop sexually harassing her. And if you do all of these things, she will not fall madly in lust with you. And I will not read your terrible novel where this seems like a logical and reasonable course of action.
I stopped reading once on page 89, when Jack and Olivia "share" their first kiss.
ENTHUSIASTIC CONSENT. PLEASE LEARN THE CONCEPT, AUTHORS.
But, despite how badly that line pushes my buttons, I soldiered on until page 111-112 when I actually threw the book across the room. Emphasis mine.
So you pumped a crewmember for information on this woman you just met, found out about the greatest tragedy in her life, confronted her about her dead parents, and then, what, felt bad when your dick wilted? I can totally see why your secretary, who you mock behind you hand, wants another go. I'm going to stop there. Let's not ruin what we have, Jack.
The main character, Jack, is the most insufferable asshole in romance history. He's a nerdy Quaker nanoelectrical engineer who loves cons and Steampunk and hasn't met a woman he can't seduce. Oh and everyone thinks he's Indiana Jones. From the second he's introduced to Octavia, the love interest, he treats her like dirt. Even if you wake up on a dirigible and believe yourself to be at a convention, you should no openly oggle a woman's breasts. You certainly cannot touch them, or her, after she tells you to stop. You should never make a woman so uncomfortable with her body that you force her to button her coat so you'll stop sexually harassing her. And if you do all of these things, she will not fall madly in lust with you. And I will not read your terrible novel where this seems like a logical and reasonable course of action.
I stopped reading once on page 89, when Jack and Olivia "share" their first kiss.
"I'm going to kiss you, Octavia Emmaline Pye."
"You may refer to me as Captain Pye, and I decline your offer," I said, a bit breathless to be true. *snip*
"Your mind says no, but your body says yes," he said, gently, persistently tugging me closer to him.
ENTHUSIASTIC CONSENT. PLEASE LEARN THE CONCEPT, AUTHORS.
But, despite how badly that line pushes my buttons, I soldiered on until page 111-112 when I actually threw the book across the room. Emphasis mine.
I shook away the memory of her mouth so softly enticing beneath mine and made an effort to focus on the words that emerged from between those delectable, delicious lips. "Sorry, you asked me what? Oh, what would interest us both? I though you could tell me a little bit about your father."
Her gaze left my lips, the pupils flaring. "My father? Robert Ansthruther?"
"Yes. Matt said you were missing him. I take it he's dead?"
"He's gone, yes." She bowed her head. "And I do miss both him and his wife, Jane. As I mentioned, they were my foster parents, not my true parents, but I could not love them more if they had been."
"Does it upset you to talk about them?" I asked, my erection dying in the face of her grief. I wanted to comfort her, to take her in my arms and protect her from the sadness in the world, but I had as suspicion if I touched her, my dick would take control again.
So you pumped a crewmember for information on this woman you just met, found out about the greatest tragedy in her life, confronted her about her dead parents, and then, what, felt bad when your dick wilted? I can totally see why your secretary, who you mock behind you hand, wants another go. I'm going to stop there. Let's not ruin what we have, Jack.
November 7, 2010
The book starts with a horrible “is that a blah-blah in your pocket” cliche which is usually enough to make me close the book there and then, but I rallied and kept reading.
Jack Fletcher spends the first chapter telling us why he is really not so-cool. Then dropping as many ‘steampunk’ references as possible along the way to his lab (he’s an engineer) he meets with his sister Hallie, who manages to spill a vial of something, which transports them into Steampunk land.
It’s not timetravel, we find. It is still 2010. Also it’s not strictly steampunk. There’s an air-ship and a lot of talk of steampunk.
Then we meet Octavia, an air-ship Captain. Expecting a strong female lead? Think again. The woman has no handle on her crew at all, who either disobey her or make constant lecherous remarks about her breasts, which she gets exasperated at, and not much else. I thought perhaps the family tragedy she recalls early on would lend her some depth, but, well, not so far anyway.
Jack Fletcher is a silly, shallow, irritating man. This is displayed in some mind-bogglingly appalling statements such as
“a man would have to be dead six months to not want to ogle your breasts” Really? Like you wouldn’t get a poke in the eye for that statement? But Octavia gets all fluttery and brushes it off.
Then “Your mind says no but your body says yes” and, after a mild complaint, “Your mouth says yes too”
There is no instance in where a statement even vaguely similar to this should be used, ever. That is all.
I imagine that finding your hero repulsive and your heroine a simpering fool will usually deem the rest of the book unreadable. Sexual tension is no excuse for being moronic. I put the book down.
I picked the book up again, but then the lengthy explanations on the mechanics of the air-ship began, which normally would be fine, but as I couldn’t emotionally invest in the world, it did nothing but annoy me. So I stopped reading. I don’t think I made 100 pages.
You can read the full review at JustRomance
December 20, 2011
For some reason I was under the impression that several people I know had read this book, found it funny and suggested I might enjoy it... I was wrong none of you have read it... If one of you would like to remind me what book you did actually read that would be awesome.
I don't know what to do with this starwise. I mean don't get me wrong this book is TERRIBLE, god damn fucking TERRIBLE. but it's one of those books that is so bad it's freaking hilarious, I laughed out loud multiple times.
But it's a straight up awful romance, the man has to "save" the woman and he barely lets her talk. it's very "ME TARZAN YOU JANE YOU COME WITH ME OR I BONK YOU ON HEAD WITH STICK". although the "I'm going to make you love me by fucking your brains out... well I was listening to the audio at work last night and the guy I was there with can tell you I burst out laughing way more than once.
This is the opposite of a "real love story" which we've established I'm not having a lot of luck matching my definition of that, but this worked really well for me in easing the depression teen true love has caused by being so ridiculous as to completely take my mind off my reasonable lack of a "soul mate"
also I can't help but give credit for the awesome premise that a chemical spill on a quantum computer could cause you to transfer to a new dimension in the hands of an actual scifi writer that premise could be the start of genius.
SO ON TO ACTUAL RATINGS:
Book quality: ★
Book Concept: ★★★★★
Book Execution: ★
Book funniness (intended or not): ★★★★
Book's ability to make me smile: ★★★★
Plotting: ★
Book's overall funness (especially considering it wasn't expected to be much): ★★★
I don't know what to do with this starwise. I mean don't get me wrong this book is TERRIBLE, god damn fucking TERRIBLE. but it's one of those books that is so bad it's freaking hilarious, I laughed out loud multiple times.
But it's a straight up awful romance, the man has to "save" the woman and he barely lets her talk. it's very "ME TARZAN YOU JANE YOU COME WITH ME OR I BONK YOU ON HEAD WITH STICK". although the "I'm going to make you love me by fucking your brains out... well I was listening to the audio at work last night and the guy I was there with can tell you I burst out laughing way more than once.
This is the opposite of a "real love story" which we've established I'm not having a lot of luck matching my definition of that, but this worked really well for me in easing the depression teen true love has caused by being so ridiculous as to completely take my mind off my reasonable lack of a "soul mate"
also I can't help but give credit for the awesome premise that a chemical spill on a quantum computer could cause you to transfer to a new dimension in the hands of an actual scifi writer that premise could be the start of genius.
SO ON TO ACTUAL RATINGS:
Book quality: ★
Book Concept: ★★★★★
Book Execution: ★
Book funniness (intended or not): ★★★★
Book's ability to make me smile: ★★★★
Plotting: ★
Book's overall funness (especially considering it wasn't expected to be much): ★★★
August 24, 2010
Oh, wow, this is indeed THAT bad. I feel stupid that I had to make sure.
I liked the idea, I enjoyed very much a few of the author´s books ( OTOH there were also a few on which I could not make it past the first couple chapters), and steampunk, light and fun, sounded irresistible.
The book even started out well, in a vaguely Jasper Fforde-ish tone. After the first chapter, it all does downhill. The worlbuilding is ridiculous and a bit tedious, the character interaction ludicrous, and the sexual interaction dialogue ( in front of crew! with crew! in a world supposedly repressed) goes into creepy territory very very fast. I quit when Mr Francisco enters the scene.
Really non-recommended for everybody.
I liked the idea, I enjoyed very much a few of the author´s books ( OTOH there were also a few on which I could not make it past the first couple chapters), and steampunk, light and fun, sounded irresistible.
The book even started out well, in a vaguely Jasper Fforde-ish tone. After the first chapter, it all does downhill. The worlbuilding is ridiculous and a bit tedious, the character interaction ludicrous, and the sexual interaction dialogue ( in front of crew! with crew! in a world supposedly repressed) goes into creepy territory very very fast. I quit when Mr Francisco enters the scene.
Really non-recommended for everybody.
June 6, 2018
2.5 stars
December 4, 2013
There are a few bits--a very few--that had promise. The airship corps was a fairly interesting concept, and one would think that a thirty-year old female airship captain, who has fought long and hard (apparently) to gain her rank would, y'know, be a good leader and command (or even demand) respect from those around her. Is this what happens? Hell, no. Instead, we are treated to a ridiculous hero (c'mon, the protagonist-from-the-real-world-magically-transported-to-a-fantasy world schtick sucks these days, and should be confined to the worst kind of fanfiction) who openly makes sexual comments about the female protagonist in front of her crew and encourages said crew to join in and to which said female protagonist reacts not at all, save for being, apparently, turned on. Sorry, but even in fantasy novels I expect people in a position of leadership to actually expect the respect their status is due--say, for example, throwing any crewmember who makes comments about the captain's breasts or ass off the side of the freakin' ship or at least dangling them from the end of a very old and fraying rope. And I would certainly expect a woman who is (supposedly) at the mature age of thirty and who is both a captain AND a member of a secret revolutionary organization to have absolutely no time for a smarmy git who encourages such behavior. But no, apparently that's too much to ask. (Thank goodness I went and read Meljean Brook's The Iron Duke right after this, which despite my dislike for overdone steamy bits had both an excellent plot and a very excellent female protagonist who would have shot 'sexy Jack' approximately thirty seconds after he opened his mouth. Otherwise, I might have been put off 'Steampunk Romance' permanently...) I limped on, however, despite the appallingly sexist behavior of anyone with a Y chromosome and the passive behavior of the double-X's, because I hoped (faintly) it might get better.
It didn't. Instead, we are treated to ridiculous sexual behavior more appropriate to teenagers than thirty-somethings (sex in a secret passage in the heart of enemy territory, not three feet from the Emperor? Loud, wild sex, no less? While supposedly trying to save the "hero's" sister's life?!), nothing resembling a plot (there is NO world-building or explanation for this apparent "Empire" or why it's Bad. And the Revolutionaries suck. Also the apparently random Turkish "terrorists" who seem mostly interested in blowing stuff up without any indictation of an intelligent plan, diabolical or otherwise), and none of the characters are even remotely likeable or, frankly, plausible. Jack is a jerk (and no matter what various media sources insist, a sexist pig with no respect for women is NOT sexy), his sister whined so much it would have been a mercy if she HAD been hung as a spy, and Octavia is an idiot who probably should never have been promoted past midshipman, if allowed to join the airship corps at ALL.
I am sure some might assure me that I'm taking the book far too seriously, that it was supposed to be a funny, fluffy romp...and yet, somehow, degrading sexual comments and idiotic behavior just don't strike me as funny. (Fine, I admit it: I loathe those movies of the raunchy-comedy type for the same reasons. So sue me.) I think I actually finished the book because it was like a train wreck: I just couldn't look away, and I was frozen in fascinated, appalled horror.
Do yourself a favor: Give this one a pass and go read the Iron Seas books. They're a little steamier than I prefer (I like my romance, but I generally am of the fade-to-black, Georgette Heyer school of thought), but damn, at least they have some excellent writing and characterization to offset it!!
It didn't. Instead, we are treated to ridiculous sexual behavior more appropriate to teenagers than thirty-somethings (sex in a secret passage in the heart of enemy territory, not three feet from the Emperor? Loud, wild sex, no less? While supposedly trying to save the "hero's" sister's life?!), nothing resembling a plot (there is NO world-building or explanation for this apparent "Empire" or why it's Bad. And the Revolutionaries suck. Also the apparently random Turkish "terrorists" who seem mostly interested in blowing stuff up without any indictation of an intelligent plan, diabolical or otherwise), and none of the characters are even remotely likeable or, frankly, plausible. Jack is a jerk (and no matter what various media sources insist, a sexist pig with no respect for women is NOT sexy), his sister whined so much it would have been a mercy if she HAD been hung as a spy, and Octavia is an idiot who probably should never have been promoted past midshipman, if allowed to join the airship corps at ALL.
I am sure some might assure me that I'm taking the book far too seriously, that it was supposed to be a funny, fluffy romp...and yet, somehow, degrading sexual comments and idiotic behavior just don't strike me as funny. (Fine, I admit it: I loathe those movies of the raunchy-comedy type for the same reasons. So sue me.) I think I actually finished the book because it was like a train wreck: I just couldn't look away, and I was frozen in fascinated, appalled horror.
Do yourself a favor: Give this one a pass and go read the Iron Seas books. They're a little steamier than I prefer (I like my romance, but I generally am of the fade-to-black, Georgette Heyer school of thought), but damn, at least they have some excellent writing and characterization to offset it!!
March 7, 2010
The word that comes to mind when I think about trying to describe this book is quirky. If you're picking this book up, and think it's going to be similar to MacAlister's other series.. you are in for a bit of a surprise. It was funny in a weird way, but has nothing to do with dragons or demons or anything like that.
I suggest to look in the Glossary in the back and look it over before reading. This helped when the author throws around words all the time as if we're supposed to know what they mean.
The main gist of the book is a man named Jack and his sister Hallie are in his lab one day, and due to some weird freaky event they get sucked into an alternate reality. They wake up on the deck of the ship and in front of them is a red-haired woman (named Octavia) wearing clothes fashionable in the Victorian Era. As they struggle to figure out what happened, and how to get home, they realize that they have landed on more than just another ship. The narrator of the book is from the POV of Jack and then Octavia takes over later in the book. It was really interesting to have the book start off from a male POV, I find very few books have a male as the main character telling the story so that was fun. MacAlister's trademark humor and quirky conversations were still present which made the book a little more fun. But it was really confusing in the beginning to figure out what was going on. After awhile the double entendres became just obnoxious, and I wanted to smack Jack across the face for being annoying. But the sexual chemistry between Octavia and Jack was pretty hot.
Overall, it was a unique book and I think I will check out the next in the series just to see where MacAlister takes the story.
I suggest to look in the Glossary in the back and look it over before reading. This helped when the author throws around words all the time as if we're supposed to know what they mean.
The main gist of the book is a man named Jack and his sister Hallie are in his lab one day, and due to some weird freaky event they get sucked into an alternate reality. They wake up on the deck of the ship and in front of them is a red-haired woman (named Octavia) wearing clothes fashionable in the Victorian Era. As they struggle to figure out what happened, and how to get home, they realize that they have landed on more than just another ship. The narrator of the book is from the POV of Jack and then Octavia takes over later in the book. It was really interesting to have the book start off from a male POV, I find very few books have a male as the main character telling the story so that was fun. MacAlister's trademark humor and quirky conversations were still present which made the book a little more fun. But it was really confusing in the beginning to figure out what was going on. After awhile the double entendres became just obnoxious, and I wanted to smack Jack across the face for being annoying. But the sexual chemistry between Octavia and Jack was pretty hot.
Overall, it was a unique book and I think I will check out the next in the series just to see where MacAlister takes the story.
April 27, 2020
DNF - This book was very disappointing. The author has made no effort to create an acceptable story within the Steampunk genre. There is no world building, the characters are uninterested and undeveloped, the interaction between the two is more like sexual harassment… I couldn't bring myself to finish this book.
January 30, 2010
Zapped into the aether by a zany laboratory mishap, Jack Fletcher and his sister Hallie find themselves aboard a real live airship-in an alternate universe, at the mercy of Captain Octavia Pye and her crew of the Tesla. Grappling with the realization that they are far from Kansas and no Toto, Jack and Hallie are thrust into the madcap adventures of the Tesla, the ongoing war with the Moghuls (against the Emperor), and the revolutionary force Black Hand who are dead-set at toppling the Empire. And that’s just what they have to deal with first in order to find a way back home. If they can even get home.
I was endlessly grinning throughout this book because MacAlister’s characterizations are engaging and fiercely funny. Always. She has a knack for writing the most amazing comedic scenes and dialogue and its not just restricted to Steamed but in all her books. With a great cast of supporting characters such as Francisco, Mowen, Piper, Dooley, Christian and others each with their own eclectic bent, you’ll find yourself laughing nearly at every page. (I still want to know Mr. Llama’s secret!)
The mating dance between Octavia and Jack is charming, and hilarious. Jack is such an easy going character so different from other author’s conception of a hero: he’s affable, sexy in an Indiana Jones’ kind of way, and he’s not a shapeshifter or vampire. He’s not laden down with any tattoos or mysterious power other than his priceless sense of humor. Just a geeky tech scientist who wants Tavey in his bed and will connive anyway to do it and while she’ll protest the entire time, she wants Jack in the fiercest way.
There’s no stopping it. Steamed is an adventure to read and one that I enjoyed. The romance is snugly inserted into one daring event after another. Once you’re on the Katie Mac express prepare for dips, turns and loop-de-loops. Make sure you’re strapped in tight (and got your goggles on) because this irrepressible author will take you for the ride of your life. Spicy, zesty, with all the fat and calories, Katie MacAlister slaps you upside the head with a whammy of ginormous proportions. Who says that love can’t be fun?
I was endlessly grinning throughout this book because MacAlister’s characterizations are engaging and fiercely funny. Always. She has a knack for writing the most amazing comedic scenes and dialogue and its not just restricted to Steamed but in all her books. With a great cast of supporting characters such as Francisco, Mowen, Piper, Dooley, Christian and others each with their own eclectic bent, you’ll find yourself laughing nearly at every page. (I still want to know Mr. Llama’s secret!)
The mating dance between Octavia and Jack is charming, and hilarious. Jack is such an easy going character so different from other author’s conception of a hero: he’s affable, sexy in an Indiana Jones’ kind of way, and he’s not a shapeshifter or vampire. He’s not laden down with any tattoos or mysterious power other than his priceless sense of humor. Just a geeky tech scientist who wants Tavey in his bed and will connive anyway to do it and while she’ll protest the entire time, she wants Jack in the fiercest way.
There’s no stopping it. Steamed is an adventure to read and one that I enjoyed. The romance is snugly inserted into one daring event after another. Once you’re on the Katie Mac express prepare for dips, turns and loop-de-loops. Make sure you’re strapped in tight (and got your goggles on) because this irrepressible author will take you for the ride of your life. Spicy, zesty, with all the fat and calories, Katie MacAlister slaps you upside the head with a whammy of ginormous proportions. Who says that love can’t be fun?
June 15, 2011
This book had some interesting potential but it fell terribly short. The romance was silly and heavy handed. The author couldn't seem to go more than two or three sentences before reminding the reader that the two main characters were hot for each other. The humor was passable. The sex was at times steamy but came at woefully inappropriate times in the narrative. If you're trying desperately to free your sister from a prison in an alternate universe, I don't believe even the most fabulous cleavage is going to distract you. Likewise I doubt two well-trained intelligent characters who have sneaked into the royal palace via a secret entrance only to find the king otherwise engaged, would be unable to put their mutual desire aside long enough to avoid being caught. Granted it moves the story where the writer wants it to go but does a terrible disservice to her characters. I also found it difficult to believe that a crew who had only just been assigned to fly with a new captain would be so willing to give up their entire lives to follow her and her crazy new boyfriend without proper character development to back it up. In fact there is very little to know character growth other than the central romance emerging. The twist at the end was too obvious and seemed obviously pulled out of thin air, not too mention it being WAY too coincidental. The author for some reason makes a very big deal out of the mysterious behavior of the character, Mr. Llama and then never addresses him. She was very successful at making me want to know more about him and then left me hanging with nothing other than some mildly amusing and too frequent moments where he appears or disappears to the consternation of Captain Pye. All in all it had a few interesting and enjoyable moments but too few and far between. I finished the book but I wouldn't recommend it, especially for true fans of steampunk.
May 2, 2012
This... This was just awful. I wanted to laugh every time I looked at the cover of the book and it read "NY Times BESTSELLING AUTHOR" because... No.
I FINALLY finished this book today. It has ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS cover art. Do not let it persuade you to try to read this book.
Read the reviews here. They don't lie. I wish I had before I picked this one up, it was just simply awful. So awful, it achieves the dubious distinction of being my first ONE-STAR book on Goodreads.
In short, the story was implausible, but not delightfully so... Annoyingly so. And the worst part was that the leads were INAPPROPRIATELY HORNY at *ALL TIMES.* What the hell. The sex/y scenes were just... not. And they were distracting from what little plot there was. The characters were weird, stupid, stereotypes with NO depth at all...
SPEAKING of no depth... There was NO reality given to the book, it's like a backhanded slap in the face to people who really enjoy ACTUAL Steampunk. I mean, you can give out of this world subjects like Neo-Victorianism/Steampunk/Air Pirates/Time Travel AND romance novels a little bit of weight and substance to engross the reader and really make them CARE... This had none. Not even an attempt.
ALSO: THE COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY *GLOSSARY PAGES* (No. Don't do this for a fluffy light romance novel with no lengthy family trees or difficult/foreign language terms. Just, no.)
Sorry. No win here. Save yourself the time.
I FINALLY finished this book today. It has ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS cover art. Do not let it persuade you to try to read this book.
Read the reviews here. They don't lie. I wish I had before I picked this one up, it was just simply awful. So awful, it achieves the dubious distinction of being my first ONE-STAR book on Goodreads.
In short, the story was implausible, but not delightfully so... Annoyingly so. And the worst part was that the leads were INAPPROPRIATELY HORNY at *ALL TIMES.* What the hell. The sex/y scenes were just... not. And they were distracting from what little plot there was. The characters were weird, stupid, stereotypes with NO depth at all...
SPEAKING of no depth... There was NO reality given to the book, it's like a backhanded slap in the face to people who really enjoy ACTUAL Steampunk. I mean, you can give out of this world subjects like Neo-Victorianism/Steampunk/Air Pirates/Time Travel AND romance novels a little bit of weight and substance to engross the reader and really make them CARE... This had none. Not even an attempt.
ALSO: THE COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY *GLOSSARY PAGES* (No. Don't do this for a fluffy light romance novel with no lengthy family trees or difficult/foreign language terms. Just, no.)
Sorry. No win here. Save yourself the time.
March 12, 2010
I usually enjoy Katie MacAllister's books. Typically fun, quick reads. After a few weeks, I finally gave up on this. Just couldn't get into it.
June 25, 2012
No sense whatsoever. None. I want my time back. Thank goddess this was free.
October 28, 2020
1 Star
Jack and his sister, Haley, are thrown into the past due to an explosion in his lab. They wake up in the hold of a steampunk airship commanded by Octavia. A woman who's been very capable of taking care of herself looooooong before Jack showed up. Insta-affection from Jack to the Captain. Jack is Quaker who has no problem cussing, and is a pacifist. His macho attitude is a bit stupid considering he has no idea where he really is, what's going on, or who's who in Octavia's world. He's "the man" and feels it's his duty to step in front of those who he cares for and danger....yet he doesn't want to hold a gun. He's basically a 21st century nerd. Guess he's feeling his alpha sneaking through? Much of this book was cliche. Fransisco sexual advance towards Octavia was over the top, and Jack wasn't much better. There aren't many steampunk romances out there and good ones aren't the norm....sigh.
This was a Hoopla Audio....
Jack and his sister, Haley, are thrown into the past due to an explosion in his lab. They wake up in the hold of a steampunk airship commanded by Octavia. A woman who's been very capable of taking care of herself looooooong before Jack showed up. Insta-affection from Jack to the Captain. Jack is Quaker who has no problem cussing, and is a pacifist. His macho attitude is a bit stupid considering he has no idea where he really is, what's going on, or who's who in Octavia's world. He's "the man" and feels it's his duty to step in front of those who he cares for and danger....yet he doesn't want to hold a gun. He's basically a 21st century nerd. Guess he's feeling his alpha sneaking through? Much of this book was cliche. Fransisco sexual advance towards Octavia was over the top, and Jack wasn't much better. There aren't many steampunk romances out there and good ones aren't the norm....sigh.
This was a Hoopla Audio....
May 9, 2012
DNF... I just couldn't get into this one. The worldbuilding was a little too gimmicky, and it's mostly handled in somewhat confusing backstory. Jack's supposed to be a brilliant scientist-type, but seems far more interested in ogling Cpt. Pye's boobs than in exploring the ENTIRE ALTERNATE UNIVERSE he and his sister have just been plunked into. (Not to mention fondling her clothing-- who DOES that to a total stranger? That's just creepy, dude.)
And while I'm usually pretty okay with the idea of instant chemistry (or at least a spark of it), it's taken too far, here. There are a LOT of reasons (the whole "losing her life over this cock-up" being one) for Cpt. Pye to put her sex drive on the back burner with this guy, and there's not even a particularly convincing struggle against those. And for a career captain on a new command, this stowaway-possibly-spy-likely-total-crackpot addressing her so familiarly should've gotten slapped silly for his impudence.
Added to that was the flipping back and forth between hero and heroine POV-- I don't mind the switching back and forth, but the author NEEDS to make it clear (which she does NOT) which "I" is speaking when she flips. It added another level of confusion to an already overly complicated plotline.
Steampunk is all the rage now, but I just can't recommend this one.
And while I'm usually pretty okay with the idea of instant chemistry (or at least a spark of it), it's taken too far, here. There are a LOT of reasons (the whole "losing her life over this cock-up" being one) for Cpt. Pye to put her sex drive on the back burner with this guy, and there's not even a particularly convincing struggle against those. And for a career captain on a new command, this stowaway-possibly-spy-likely-total-crackpot addressing her so familiarly should've gotten slapped silly for his impudence.
Added to that was the flipping back and forth between hero and heroine POV-- I don't mind the switching back and forth, but the author NEEDS to make it clear (which she does NOT) which "I" is speaking when she flips. It added another level of confusion to an already overly complicated plotline.
Steampunk is all the rage now, but I just can't recommend this one.
April 8, 2012
I almost put this on my DNF shelf, but I thought to myself, "this is so ridiculous it's hilarious." So of course I kept on going.
Underneath the title it tells everyone it is "A Steampunk Romance." I guess we are all stupid because "steampunk" appears quite often in the text. A couple of examples: "-how we got on board an airship in what is evidently a steampunk world." -and- "Steampunk sweetheart."
The characters:
Hallie AKA shit for brains (I've been wanting to use that phase forever in a review). Stupid, selfish(need I say more?)
Jack- he is supposed to be this bright, intelligent guy. He comes across as a possessive jackass who can't keep his penis in his pants. Really.
Octavia- She's a captain (I assume she was smart to rise to level of captain) whose orders are consistently ignored and doesn't do anything about it. She meets Jack and becomes all about THE sex (and at inappropriate times).
1.5 stars, nicely rounded up to 2* because I got to say shit for brains!
Underneath the title it tells everyone it is "A Steampunk Romance." I guess we are all stupid because "steampunk" appears quite often in the text. A couple of examples: "-how we got on board an airship in what is evidently a steampunk world." -and- "Steampunk sweetheart."
The characters:
Hallie AKA shit for brains (I've been wanting to use that phase forever in a review). Stupid, selfish(need I say more?)
Jack- he is supposed to be this bright, intelligent guy. He comes across as a possessive jackass who can't keep his penis in his pants. Really.
Octavia- She's a captain (I assume she was smart to rise to level of captain) whose orders are consistently ignored and doesn't do anything about it. She meets Jack and becomes all about THE sex (and at inappropriate times).
1.5 stars, nicely rounded up to 2* because I got to say shit for brains!
July 14, 2010
While I appreciated that there was some effort put into worldbulding and plot development, I could not for two seconds invest myself in the characters. The transition from "you are talking about things that blatantly do not exist in my reality" to "I want to jump your bones and ride you like Seabiscut" happened in about a nanosecond. I cannot buy that a career airship pilot would put her entire mission/career/crew/etc. at risk over a man who, although highly attractive, is also obviously delusional in the context of the situation. Likewise, I cannot buy that a former Black-Ops specialist would pass over figuring out where he is and how he got their in favor of boinking the hot redheaded captain.
Now, I understand that this is a "romance novel," which is a genre of which I have read precious little. However, I have read more romantic, more titillating, and better crafted worlds in non-romance genres, so I see no reason why I should not hold this genre up to the same high standards.
Now, I understand that this is a "romance novel," which is a genre of which I have read precious little. However, I have read more romantic, more titillating, and better crafted worlds in non-romance genres, so I see no reason why I should not hold this genre up to the same high standards.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2013
Der Plot verdient kaum den Namen, er ist ziemlich ärmlich, außerdem vorhersehbar. Die Charaktere sind flach, die weibliche Protagonistin erscheint extrem zickig. Die erotischen Szenen waren okay, aber auch nicht mehr. Ich habe schon wesentlich bessere Fanfiction gelesen, woran das Buch auch über weite Strecken erinnerte.
Keine Empfehlung, weder für Fans von Steampunk, noch von erotischen Geschichten.
Schade, aber das hat man wohl davon, wenn man einem Roman mit dem Untertitel "30° West 100° Liebe" kauft...
Keine Empfehlung, weder für Fans von Steampunk, noch von erotischen Geschichten.
Schade, aber das hat man wohl davon, wenn man einem Roman mit dem Untertitel "30° West 100° Liebe" kauft...
June 3, 2022
I'm half way in and calling quits.
It was over 80 pages in to establish they're in a steampunk world.
The two characters who've yet to have sex are so preoccupied with wanting to they can't even have normal human conversations to get to know each other, do her job, or convincingly deal with crisises (yes, multiple).
Everyone wants to have sex with the leading lady, she's only been with 3 men previously, but not only are they all big wig important characters-- they're all about to be present/adjacent.
The cover art is lovely, the premise seemed like fun- the delivery... not so much.
It was over 80 pages in to establish they're in a steampunk world.
The two characters who've yet to have sex are so preoccupied with wanting to they can't even have normal human conversations to get to know each other, do her job, or convincingly deal with crisises (yes, multiple).
Everyone wants to have sex with the leading lady, she's only been with 3 men previously, but not only are they all big wig important characters-- they're all about to be present/adjacent.
The cover art is lovely, the premise seemed like fun- the delivery... not so much.
August 7, 2012
I gave up about page 130...
The premise was interesting and I kind of enjoyed the travel between parallel worlds but it dragged! There was plenty of bosom's description and a lot of backside and bustles and how the female character's scent was tormenting the hero but plot? It was nowhere to be seen! And it was ridiculous how a captain would be defied in front of her crew. Meljean Brook does a better work with her Yasmeen.
The premise was interesting and I kind of enjoyed the travel between parallel worlds but it dragged! There was plenty of bosom's description and a lot of backside and bustles and how the female character's scent was tormenting the hero but plot? It was nowhere to be seen! And it was ridiculous how a captain would be defied in front of her crew. Meljean Brook does a better work with her Yasmeen.
January 17, 2016
This is a steampunk time travel romance. I enjoyed Jack and his sense of humor and admiration for intelligent women. BTW, there is a great deal of sex in this book which took away from the flow of the story (seemed that even though the author had a good idea for a story, they thought lots of sex would make it more marketable).
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