Jilly's Reviews > Soulless

You all know how much I hate Steampunk. It always feels forced. Someone decides to write a historical romance and then adds in a bunch of cogs, flying machines, goggles, and automatons to make a giant mess turn it into Steampunk. So, this one almost got drop-kicked into the DNF pile a couple of times.



This book is very tongue-in-cheek. We have a heroine who is more worried about social niceties, proper manners, and quality clothing than the fact that she is attacked by a vampire and has to deal with a werewolf in the aftermath. She's silly and doesn't know it.


Well, I never!

But, it's easy to find her way of thinking pretty funny.

He kissed as though he needed her to subsist. It was unbearably intimate. Worse than allowing one's ankles to be seen.

Social standing and proper etiquette are top priorities for Alexia, even when she is being tortured. She is horrified that her hair is hanging loose, and she calls her torturers ill-mannered. That will teach them!


Proper etiquette is crucial in all situations.

So, there was a subtle humor throughout the book that anyone who has read a lot of historical romance would appreciate. There is an interesting alternate-history viewpoint with magical creatures added in that is fun. But, these things didn't overcome the way the story dragged a bit. The pacing was slow. Really slow. And sometimes the ridiculousness overcame the fun. Still, overall, the book was entertaining.