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Beauty and the Clockwork Beast

Audiobook
7 of 17 copies available
7 of 17 copies available

Like the classic "Beauty and the Beast," this steampunk romance features an unlikely love story.

The Lord of Blackwell Manor, Miles, is plagued by a family curse that changes him into a shape-shifting wolf every month during the full moon.

Lucy, a smart, attractive, and well-respected botanist, travels to Blackwell Manor to take care of her sick cousin, Kate, who is married to Miles' younger brother. For Lucy, the trip is a welcome respite from her work and recent discovery of a breakthrough serum that could eliminate the scourge of vampires from London. But Lucy finds more than she bargained for when she arrives at the Manor.

Miles, who is brash and inhospitable, does not take kindly to visitors. He is still unsettled by the mysterious death of his newlywed wife. And then there's Marie, Miles' sister, who was attacked and murdered just weeks earlier. Miles is horrified to think that he might be to blame for the deaths. And who is the ghost that haunt the halls?

Lucy is convinced that the death of Miles's wife and sister—as well as her cousin's mysterious illness—are tied together, but how?

Lady Charlesworth has her eye on inheriting Blackwell Manor for her family. Could her daughter, Candice, or her son, Arthur, have had a hand in the mysterious deaths? The clues make a vampire suspect highly likely.

During her investigation, Lucy finds herself caring deeply for Miles, but he fights to keep his distance in order to protect Lucy from his family's secret. And, yet, he feels attracted to the woman who is able to look past the fearsome-looking scar that has marred his handsome face. With no other option, Miles and Lucy must work together if they are to find the answer to the mysteries at the manor.

But that's not all Lucy wants to solve. There's a deeper mystery behind Miles. Can she solve that too? Ultimately, she must decide if she can love the man—beast and all.

Includes bonus novella, "Marie's Story"

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from March 14, 2016
      Allen (My Fair Gentleman) jumps gracefully on to the supernatural Victorian bandwagon, keeping both the romance and the gore PG-rated in a steampunk setting. Her tale seamlessly combines family politics, ballroom dancing, and romantic swooning with airships, ray guns, and automatons, as well as scientifically verified vampires and werewolves. Lucy Pickett, whose research on ways to counter vampires is a priority for the Botanical Aid Society of London, visits Blackwell Manor to find a remedy for her cousin Kate, who’s usually “healthy as an ox” but has been taken ill since moving there with her new husband, the brother of the Earl of Blackwell. When the ghost of Marie, the late sister of the secretive earl, tries to communicate with Lucy, the earl takes her under his protection and his scrutiny. She’s terrified by the scar across his face and the rumors that he killed both Marie and his young wife, and yet Lucy finds him to be a kind confidant and an appealing suitor. Allen’s imagining of “Beauty and the Beast” as a supernatural period murder mystery is delightful at every turn. Agent: Pam Howell, D4EO.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Saskia Maarleveld deftly sets the atmospheric stage for Allen's Steampunk Proper Romance, moving effortlessly between genres and characters. When Lucy Pickett comes to Blackwell Manor to look after her ailing cousin, she doesn't expect to find ghosts roaming the hall--not to mention Lord Blackwell himself, scowling and inhospitable. While this is a chaste read, Maarleveld nonetheless captures the crackling sexual tension between Lucy and Lord Blackwell, making it entirely believable. This hybrid of steampunk, romance, and mystery has some of the "Beauty and the Beast" elements promised by the title, but it's more of a reimagining than a retelling. It's a strong story that skillfully combines many disparate elements, making one hope that more books will take place in this intriguing world. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

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