I have read some of Nancy Campbell Allen's previous books, but this was my first venture into steampunk (hers or anyone else's!) I found the storyline compelling, but did have to put the book down a few times to process what I had read.
The romance was sweet, if at times a little too surface level for my liking (it felt like much of their relationship was explained rather than shown, which left it lacking in some depth). The character of Eugene was one of my favourites - I would have loved to have more of his background!
Being a fairy tale steampunk novel, there was some magick which was intriguing at times. That said, I almost put the book down when the undead were mentioned as I get easily creeped out by such things. Without spoiling it, I can only say that I did continue reading and am satisfied with how that particular plot point went.
As a first time reader of steampunk, I would have appreciated a bit more explanation of certain things (e.g. more descriptions of items and how they work). However that might have interrupted the flow too much, and I was able to understand enough of it to get by and focus primarily on the story itself.
If you enjoy different twists on well known fairy tales, you should try this book.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have read many of Nancy Campbell Allen's books before and love her style. Yet, I was quite hesitant to read one of her steampunk books. With that being said, my daughter-in-law could not get enough of these books. So, I decided to give this one a try and I LOVED IT! The writing is phenomenal and the story line is very captivating! I especially love the fairy tale twist. I will definitely be reading the other books in the series!

What a unique story! I confess that steampunk is not my typical genre, but this one was satisfying. With elements of paranormal adventure, moments of steampunk ingenuity, and shadows of Regency romance, this book is a fun read from start to finish. It is possibly best to start with the first book of the series to have a more full understanding of character cameo appearances, but I was able to follow along easily even with being “dropped” into the story. This retelling of a familiar fairy tale is so unique that it is hard to see the original “bones of the story” until the last few chapters. Quite entertaining!

Rated PG-13 for some mildly distressing moments.
—no sex
—no language
—some violence
—little to no gore

This ebook was provided to me free by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I find these steampunk fairy tales very intriguing. Nancy Campbell Allen has quite a flair for creating worlds and interesting characters. While this isn't my favorite in the series, it was still very engaging. Hazel and Sam are just perfect for each other. Their sweet romance is built on loyalty and respect. Their ton, Eugine is hilarious. The twist and turns in the story kept me guessing. I would love to see a story about Hazel's twin in the future. I was intrigued by the talents the twins possed together. All of the characters had a great deal of depth that I enjoyed.

The first time I read Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by this author, I was taken aback by the Steampunk genre. I wasn't expecting it and wasn't sure what to think. My hesitation quickly turned to enjoyment though, and that became one of my favorite stories to read. I have enjoyed each of Allen's stories in this series and this one was no exception.

I enjoyed getting to know Hazel and Sam better and loved Hazel's unusual sense of adventure. (Even if she didn't!) Eugene was a riot and it was easy to forget that he was a 'ton, not a human. Allen brings each one of her characters to life in such a way that the reader really feels like they know them.

This was such a fun story to read and I know I'll be reading it over and over again. I hope that Emme and Oliver get their own stories too... not only because I want to get to know them better, but also because I don't want this series to end!

This was an enjoyable read but I wish I had read the other two in the series first. There were too many references to previous characters and plot lines for me to feel fully invested in this book. Allen's steam punk world was fun but felt a little uninspired. Sam and Hazel were excellent characters and I love the way that Allen worked "Rapunzel" into their narrative. Overall, a solid read.

This story starts in the middle of the first book when Hazel and Lucy are attacked by a vampire while trying to summon a ghost. A near death experience that forged a new friendship for them and a need for Doctor Sam MacInnes to feel responsible for the life of the woman he barely knew that was once only just the daughter of his mother’s friend. He did after all suggest hiring her to work as a medium and everyone found out the hard way that it wasn’t a good idea.

Fast forward a year later Hazel is now working for Sam and is nursing a crush on him despite her efforts not to. With her best friends out of town she has no interest in attending social events as she knows the invitations only come because of the status of her friends. But at Sam’s insistence she attends a party that completely alters the course of her life. Enter Count Dravor Petrescu, a weather Romanian nobleman newly arrived in a London that had the ladies all in a tizzy vying for his attention. He only has eyes for Hazel.

The Count comes with the news that he is Hazel’s long lost uncle and has come to at long last bring her home. Her twin sister, a person she only knew from her dreams, is sick and in need of her. So naturally she must go off with him to his Romania Castle with very little question asked because her sister needs her. No matter that her mother is terrified by the thought of her leaving and was warned never to let her go back to that place. Hazel’s placement with her adoptive parents was under rather unusual and dire circumstances and her mother believes what she was told all those years ago and that only danger awaits her. Sam offers to go on this journey with her because he too isn’t so certain that the Count is all he seems.

So the journey begins in a luxury submersible headed to Romania where an uncertain future awaits. Hazel only knows that she is desperate to get to her sister Marit who seems to be on the verge of madness... if she hasn’t already been lost to it. Working with Sam and his unusual automaton Eugene they try to piece together the truth of Hazel’s origins and her family and her uncle’s true intentions. But things onboard the luxurious submersible aren’t so pretty and danger lurks around every corner and tragedy too. And there’s still the matter of Marit who can apparently inhabit her sister’s body.

I liked Hazel but she’s rather irrational at times. I get it that a stressful situation might make your thoughts scattered but... if you know you are a healer and you know now what you can do how do you sit around screaming and crying about someone you care about being hurt before ever even considering trying to do something about it? She is also reckless and her efforts to “be braver” seem rather foolish. I might not have liked her at all if not for the fact that I’ve read a whole lot of books this year and didn’t like a lot of the main characters so in comparison Hazel isn’t so bad. Sam is easy to like he’s not like other men of the time would be he never tells her not to do things or that she needs the help of a man or that she should sit home well away from any trouble. Instead he tries to help and support her wants her to keep him in the loop so that he can assist where needed. So when she behaves very unreasonably it’s rather annoying he’s all calm and logical and she’s suddenly so impulsive and irrational. Alas together they make quite a good pair. And Eugene is awesome.

All in all a very entertaining Rapunzel story with you know steampunk and twins with a crazy uncle instead of the usual witch that tossing a girl in a tower. And of course they lived happily ever after

In Steampunk London Hazel Hughes is a healer who uses her supernatural gifts to assist brilliant surgeon and inventor Sam McInnes. The two are perfect partners in their medical practice and in her daydreams Sam is her perfect man in every sense. The two are on purely professional terms until a mysterious stranger, Count Petrescu, shows up claiming to be Hazel's long-lost uncle. He says he needs her to come home to Romania with him to save the twin sister that Hazel never knew she had. Hazel has always longed for a family and wants to go but Sam says that leaving the country with a virtual stranger is crazy. He insists that he should accompany her. He says it's out of a feeling of responsibility as her employer but it's possible it's more personal.

I love steampunk and once I got into this world, I really enjoyed the story and the sweet romance. I read this as a stand alone, which is possible, but I think it would have been more enjoyable if I had read the other books first because there is a lot of world building that I missed out on. At first it was difficult to understand what was happening in this universe without the benefit of relevant backstory. For anyone who loves historical, fantasy and reimagined fairy tales this is a winner.

I enjoyed this book, just not as much as the other two in this series. I believe this is a very different retelling of Rapunzel, and it was very clever. I liked the characters, especially Sam MacInnes. I enjoyed her underwater scenes in the submersible. It was fun to travel to Romania for the conclusion. At the same time, to me this book seemed a bit choppy, and I found it a bit difficult to follow at points, especially in the end with the family history info. I also kept wondering exactly about Hazel. She was in the first book, but my memory of her in that book was not congruent with this character.

It's been quite a long time since last I read such an interesting steampunk novel and it's my first steampunk romance.
I'm more than happy I got this ARC because it was highly entertaining and engrossing.
I loved the world building, the cast of characters and the plot kept me hooked.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

It's official! I'm a lover of Nancy Campbell Allen's steampunk romances! What do I love about them? I love that they're different than everything else that's flooding the market these days. I love that they're fairy tale retellings with her own unique twist thrown in. I love that she has me guessing until the very end about what will happen. I love knowing that once I start the book, I will be whisked away to a magical place that will hold me hostage until the very end. If you haven't guessed yet.. I love this series!

I have been curious about Hazel and Sam since first meeting them in Beauty and the Clockwork Beast. There was just something about these two that called to me. Hazel and Sam were perfectly matched. She was the yin to his yang. Working together, they could anything and overcome whatever was thrown their way. I quickly fell in love with these two and found myself rooting for them from the very beginning.

You guys! I'm not going to lie... I couldn't devour their story fast enough! Once I started this book, I could not put it down! It was intense, mysterious, swoony, and all around amazing! When I got to the end, I found myself going back to the beginning to read it all over again. I love when a book grabs me like that! It's the sign of a fabulous author! I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in this series!

The Lady in the Coppergate Tower will be the perfect book for lovers of all things steampunk! With a magical mystery, enigmatic dreams, and will-they-or-won't-they romance, this story will take you on a steam filled adventure.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions are my own.

Let this be another lesson learned for when one (as in me) jumped into the middle of ongoing series. Fish out of water, I tell you. (Like I would never repeat the same action again... hah! 😅) But then again, there were some examples where I dived into an ongoing series and not only liking it, but love the book that I backtrack to to catch up the previous titles.

In general, I thought this third entry to Nancy Campbell Allen’s “Steampunk Proper Romance” series is intriguing. An healer and her doctor suitor maneuvering against an evil force with the help of an automaton (or ‘ton as the story love to call them) prone with dry-witt and sarcasm. Honestly, Eugene the ‘ton is my main reason I stuck to this book. Other than that, there were a number of - what I felt - potentially promising twist that had been swept as an aside. All in all making what could be gripping and powerful plot to just so so. I wish the portion of the confrontation involving Hazel, Sam, Eugene and the villain were more than simply shoved into the last few chapters, instead of prolonging the long journey the gang took whole not really home in on some incidents (happened) along the way. One may argue that this approach construed the suspense, but I thought they were opportunity loss (as well characters’ carelessness).

The romance between Hazel and Sam was unsurprising, but at best could only be fall under lukewarm category. For a pair of educated people who were attracted to one another, the dance between them just didn’t stimulate me as a reader. Thank gads for Eugene who could livened-up scenes in whatever situation he found himself in.

As a newbie to the author’s works, let’s just say I’m intrigued by her backlist titles (at least the previous installments of the series) but a bit cagey on whether or not to dip my toe in. I shall just wait and see if the mood strikes...


Copy of this book is kindly given by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Lady in the Coppergate Tower is the ultimate fairy tale! Nancy Campbell Allen weaves the perfect tale of intrigue, mystery and a touch of romance. I love the many layers to this story and it's probably my favorite by Nancy Campbell Allen so far. A definite must-read that you don't want to miss!

Let me start off saying I haven't read the first 2 books before this one and I didn't feel like I was missing anything because I didn't read them. I always like the twist of Steampunk in books. I actually think it's more fun to read historicals with that twist in them. It takes almost the whole book to get to the actual name of the book. This book has historical elements, steampunk, supernatural elements and romance. Hazel is the perfect match for Dr. Sam. It takes them awhile to realize they both feel the same for each other and also class doesn't matter.


*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

To fully enjoy and understand this world I highly recommend to read the first two! Beauty and the Clock Work Beast and Kiss of A Spindle.
This one is a brothers grimm Rapanzel retelling. This one took a little longer to read, due to the fact I read at night and this one "properly" scared me. (see what I did there...)
I spook easly, so take that as you will.
This book was truly a ride, it had me guessing because it wasn't a prouper romance! This book was a mystery, thriller with a dash of romance.
I did enjoy the romance and would have really enjoyed to have seen more of it.
Eugene (the robot) was my favorite charcter in this story, just loved him! The sassniess & and wit. Eugene was the comical relief through our the story.
Recommend to be read around Halloween or fall time🎃
I wouldn't recommend this one to young readers due to the darker elements in it.
This one was not my favorite of the series but I'm still happy I read it and will continue with the series!
Content
Mild violence
Mild Romance
Language (one bad word)
Some dark elements

Love love love love. Sleeping Beauty meets steampunk. It was absolutely fantastic. Every book by Nancy Campbell Allen just keeps getting better and better. I cannot wait to see where this series goes next.

I love retellings of fairy tales and this was a fabulous retelling of Rapunzel. It had so much intrigue and mystery. The romance was clean and progressed at a nice pace. The characters had depth and were interesting. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

The author does a wonderful job drawing the reader into the world of fantasy fairy-tale retelling and steampunk with realistically grounded characters and a mystery to solve. Unrequited love that is secretly not unrequited is one of my favorite tropes and I really enjoyed the developing romance between Hazel and Sam with the tension that holds them back all the while falling more in love with each other. There is a darkness to the suspense as they follow the dubious Romanian uncle to Hazel's sister, and I was anxious to see how they would rescue her. Such creative world-building! Characters and situations from the previous two books are referred to and while I had read the second book in the series, I wish that I had read the first one also, so I would recommend reading them in order for full enjoyment. It definitely works as a standalone though.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Hazel Hughes had always thought she had a connection with ghosts, but her real skills lay with her photographic memory, reasoning skills, and healing ability. It helps her work with Sam MacInnes, a surgeon who values hard work and medical skills rather than his noble lineage. When she hears from Count Petrescu that she is actually of Romanian nobility abducted from birth and her twin sister is gravely ill, of course, Hazel wants to help her sister. Sam won't let her go alone, and neither can explain the unease they feel around the Count. The journey to Romania grows steadily worse, and the truth is stranger than Hazel originally thought.

The Lady in the Coppergate Tower is a standalone novel in the same steampunk world that Nancy Campbell Allen had written in before. It draws heavily from Dracula mythology as well as elements of the Rapunzel fairy tale, which is actually a much more fun combination than you would think. The first chapter, which introduces Hazel and Sam to each other, feels so contextually different from the rest of the novel that it feels more like it should have been a prologue or not included at all. There is enough build-up before the Count arrives that we can see how Hazel and Sam react to the world around them, as well as some explanations of the clockwork miracles that exist in this alternate universe. There are automatons and Travelers, a vehicle that is more like a steam-powered and motorized version of the Victorian carriages used throughout the period, as well as scribers, which seems to react almost like texting via some kind of wifi. In the midst of this is also magic and paranormal activities that are readily accepted as part of the norm.

The mystery of the Count and the difficulties surrounding the travel carries a lot of tension, and in the middle of all this, Hazel and Sam's attraction deepens. The dance they make around each others' feelings is a delightful kind of awkward because they're very cute with each other. The Count from the first carries a lot of creepy menace, and that creepiness only increases as the rest of the novel progresses and it's clear that he's willing to use magic to lull the others into a sense of complacency. It's in the final quarter of the novel that we hit the clear Rapunzel parallels, and there's a lot more action involved. It's fast-paced and rapidly resolved at that point, but doesn't feel wanting or unfinished at all.