A nice paranormal romance, "Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts" is an enemies-to-lovers story about looking below the surface of a person. Detective Oliver Reed may support equal rights for shifters, but he also supports law and order. Emmeline O'Shea is willing to break a few rules during a protest as she pushes for bills to pass in support of shifter rights. But they don't really get to know each other until Emme is sent threatening notes just before an international conference on shifter rights, where she is one of the main speakers. Oliver is tasked with her protection and the longer the two spend together, the closer they become. Emme is no shrinking violet, but a determined woman passionately devoted to helping others. Oliver is fiercely loyal and unbending when it comes to protecting those he loves. A nice story that will be enjoyed by paranormal and steampunk romance fans.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This is the fourth book in the steampunk proper romance series by Nancy Campbell Allen and one of my favorites. I was swept up in the action, which was a lot more 'hands on' as opposed to the 'building tension' kind of action. I really enjoyed the fact that both characters had problem siblings and it wasn't just the female who was going to need saving.

You know the story, don’t you? The evil stepmother and stepsisters try to keep Cinderella from happiness but their plot is foiled by a fairy godmother.

In this steampunk retelling of Cinderella, the role of the prince is played by a policeman, Oliver, and Cinderella is played by a social activist, Emme. In this case, Emme’s mother remarried so there is a stepfather and two stepsisters. Yes, the role of the fairy godmother is filled too, and there is a carriage and a ridiculous pair of shoes.

I loved this story. Mainly, I enjoyed the relationship between Oliver and Cinderella. What starts out as contentious becomes friendly and then affectionate and then so much more. With just a little ongoing contentiousness to keep things real. These two characters are good for each other and great for the story! Many people contrive to keep Emme from reaching the International Shifter Rights Summit. The dangerous adventures of Emme and Oliver make for a suspenseful story and a thrilling reading experience.

Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts is the fourth book in Nancy Campbell Allen’s Steampunk Proper Romance series. I’ve enjoyed the entire series so I can tell you that each book stands alone, though successive books do reference events and characters of previous books. Read one, or read them all!

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a delightfully light read after I have had to slog through some heavy tomes recently. The steampunk aspect is not shoe-horned in but seamlessly interspersed throughout so that it feels natural. Although I gather this is the fourth in a series I didn't need to have read the others in order to understand the story and there were few link-backs so I didn't at any point feel lost.
The plot continued at a great pace so you were constantly entertained and there weren't any dull moments.
I really enjoyed and believed the chemistry between Emmeline and Oliver and thought their courtship was brilliant.
I could see the likeness to the Cinderella story but loved the deviations from the standard story.
All in all, a pleasant read and I will be looking out for more of Nancy Campbell Allen's books.

Will they be able to thwart the many traps on their journey without loosing sight of their heart ...

I quite like steampunk stories but so far I have read very few, it seems romance is a less representative sub genre.
This story is a reversed rewriting of the Cinderella by Perrault’s fairy tale, with instead of a shy demure young woman, a fiery maiden, not the doormat of the fairytale. With a widowed mother remarried but the stepsisters are still there.
The prince is no more but she has her personal knight in shining armor, an inspector determined to protect and rescue her.
So it is a crossing between Cinderella and Bodyguard.

As my discovery read by the author, I was delighted by the witty banters and many mischiefs with very ugly villains I loved to hate.
This tale is a rollercoaster ride, along the road they learn about the other to better open their eyes about the feelings they keep guarding behind the walls of their heart.
Emmeline has always wanted something else from life, upon her mother’s successful business, she looks to help others less fortunate, those who have no voice or are unable to speak. She is their spokeswoman and no threat will prevent her to stand for them.
Oliver is a hero in his own right, he went from the army to the police, he abides to laws and rules while he agrees with Emme’s ideas, he only wishes to keep everyone safe.
Why they find themselves at each side of the fence, yet they are far from being opposite, they have similar opinions, they share the same group of friends and they are attracted to one another if they accept to recognize it.

I do suspect the side characters have had their stories in the books published prior to it and it will surely add more insight about this world, yet without having them, I just love this book.
5 stars for this enchanting retelling of Cinderella with more spunk than the original tale, a brash heroine and her chivalrous guardian.

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Are you ready for a steampunk romance between enemies? If so, please enter the world of Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts and meet Emmeline O'Shea and her nemesis, Detective Oliver Reed. Emme is a leading voice for Shifter protection in this alternate Victorian England inhabited by vampires and were-creatures while Oliver tries to keep rallies from turning into riots. But when a missive arrives threatening Emme's life if she attends and speaks at an upcoming summit in Scotland, the two are thrown together when Oliver is assigned as her bodyguard. What between carriage accidents, attempted kidnapping via airships, bombs, and physical assaults, Emme and Oliver manage to fall in love as in all good fairy tales. I will have to check out other titles in the Steampunk Proper Romance series.

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title.

This was a very loose interpretation of the Cinderella story, but it totally worked for me. It always takes me a few chapters to get into the steampunk world, and the same was true here, but Nancy Campbell Allen Hassan such a talent for engaging storytelling that it wasn’t long before I was flying through the pages. Many familiar faces from the first three books in the series, but like those, this one can also easily be read as a stand-alone. And with the rallies and protests for the unfairly treated and under-represented, this story had much more of an impact on me than it would have a year or two ago.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A slightly dark Cinderella-flavored steampunk

Book 4 of this Steampunk Fairytales series shifts the focus to Emme & Oliver. Technically, I suppose it could stand alone, but I think it's best to read the series in order to fully understand & appreciate all that's going on.

I had some reservations as the story begins with an anecdotal illustration of Emme's illegal protesting record, which is unfortunate timing with all the violence & destruction going on right now, as it's not particularly sympathetic. Thankfully, Oliver, who supports her cause but not her methods, helps to balance that part out, & brings out a more favorable view of Emme for us.

Emme is an empath but people's emotions are overwhelming, so she shuts it away with a mental door or block. Because of that, she tends to think & speak very logically, & it's pretty amusing as she keeps trying to rationalize & logic her way out of the attraction & then love she begins to feel with Oliver.

Emme wants to be strong & fearless like her cousin, Isla, so she fearlessly jumps right in to whatever needs to be done - but she's still afraid of emotions, including her own. Oliver is the perfect fit for her, as he has a way of controlling his emotions that gives her a respite & helps to calm her.

The development of Oliver & Emme's relationship from longtime antagonists to lovers is the best part of the story. Their exchanges are witty & fun.

There are some frustrating points:
******-SPOILERS******-
It was hard to believe that it didn't occur to Emme or (especially detective) Oliver that Madeline might be in trouble since they knew Lysette was dangerous & that Maddie was going to snoop.

It was absurd to try to stop a hunt with a broken leg & only one companion - who'd been tied up & without food or water for days. These are folks who were willing to hunt & kill people, what's a few more? And just like when the teens split up in the horror movies, of course, you know it's not going to end well for the heroine.

Oliver & Emme just seem to be superhuman that they endure so much they're barely alive, yet still somehow recover enough to be there for the speech that only Emme can give, & then sit around chatting & canoodling after. Which begged the question of why the leaders who were voting couldn't put it off until they had first been fully informed of all that had taken place.
*******END SPOILERS*******

These were the reason I dropped a star, but if you're mainly in it for the romance between Emme & Oliver, as I was, then you'll enjoy it anyway!

*Romance level: passionate kisses, nothing graphic

Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts
by Nancy Campbell Allen
Shadow Mountain Publishing
You Like Them You Are Auto-Approved
Shadow Mountain
Romance | Sci Fi & Fantasy
Pub Date 06 Oct 2020 | Archive Date 06 Oct 2020

This was a new genre for me: Steampunk retelling of Cinderella. I really liked the book. I look forward to reading more of these.
Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the ARC.

4 star

Charming and full of twists, but difficult to get into.

I'm a fan of Allen's historical romances, and this was no exception. The biggest problem I found for me was the pacing. It's very slow in the beginning, but a lot is happening. It's a bit confusing. Otherwise, I thought the funky steampunk Victorian or Edwardian atmosphere was super enjoyable, especially with Allen's prose.

Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts caught my attention because of the Cinderella retelling and being a steampunk. I thought that was going to be an interesting combination. While this is a 4th book in a series these are more meant as companions, each book focusing on another character and couple. They should be able to be read as standalones. But at the end I was left feeling a little dissapointed. 

What dissapointed me the most was the cinderella retelling aspect. There are some things clumsily and obviously inserted like an annoying step parent and step sibling. But also losing a shoe at the very end. But other than that there is no correlation to Cinderella. Emme has her own place in the world and certainly isn't letting herself be put down by her step family. Plus she has a lot of people around her who care about her. Within this steampunk world a lot could have been done with this retelling but it wasn't. 

The romance was also set down as an enemies to lovers romance but that wasn't really it either. Emme might have called the detective her enemy but nothing on the page showed that at all. He got in her way because of his profession sometimes, because he did his job, but that was it. And during thi book there was no true animosity between them. In fact, they fell for each other pretty quickly. I did like their romance beyond that. They work well together. 

As far as this being able to be read as a standalone, that is true. However I think I'd still say to read them in order just because I didn't get some of the underlying relationships between the characters that I think were mc's in previous books. Just for that background. And maybe it would also explain why Emme is THE spokesperson for shifters while not being one herself and having rarely any shifters near her. Because that was eye brow raising to say the least. 

Other than that the story was mostly entertaining as a romance. Oliver and Emme do work together well as a couple and as characters they are good to follow. The family and friends they have found around themselves gave me warm feelings. 

All in all a good steampunk romance to read as long as you don't have too high expectations of the cinderella retelling.

I don’t usually read much of the steampunk or paranormal genres, but this series that combines the two is so creative and clever; they are hard to resist! They also happen to be fairytale retellings, and it’s fun to watch for how the author adds in recognizable elements from the beloved Disney cartoons. This world Nancy Campbell Allen has created is both imaginative and compelling.

Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts is the fourth in this series and is the Cinderella retelling. The story follows Emmeline and Oliver, who start out rather antagonistic toward each other, as their methods for activating change for an important social cause clash. As circumstances throw them together, they must learn to work together and trust each other. This is full of adventure, suspense, and romance. It is an enjoyable, fun read and is hard to put down.
3.5 stars

This steampunk enemies-to-lovers story follows the cat & mouse dynamic between a policeman and community organizer, which suddenly shifts when aforementioned detective is assigned bodyguard duty to our heroine following a death threat. Oliver and Emme may come to find out they could put their energies towards something better than enmity.

If this premise makes you feel uncomfortable/frustrated because of the disconnect from police brutality and violent suppression of protestors in reality... same. It is worth noting as well that we're dealing with an entirely white cast. There was a good acknowledgement of class privilege in one conversation between the characters, but the complete obliviousness to race was made more stark by the nature of our supposed meet cute... if our heroine were black, there would be nothing cute about Oliver throwing her over his shoulder and bodily removing her from a protest.

Beyond this major concern, the romance was a bit tepid for my personal tastes (they're in love only 47% in and the tension is zero), which is apparently what makes it a "proper romance." Turns out I'm not a very proper person.

I really like this series. They make a nice change from my straight cozy mysteries. A little bit of romance, steampunk and mystery all in one book. Each book has had me cheering on the MC and hoping everything works out (I know it will, but still). The characters are interesting, as are the stories.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy from f this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I read a previous book by this author and I adored it but this one just didn't grab me. I found myself struggling to finish it.

I think that things just seemed to happen for no real reason and there was a tenuous connection to the Cinderella story.

I read this book as a stand-alone book. I read it because I LOVE all of the Proper Romance books and ALL of Nancy Allen Campbell historical romance. However, I am not a steampunk, vampires, etc. type of reader. But I told myself I was going to read and give it a try. It was a really good book but for anyone that likes steampunk or vampire type books you would really love this series. I would also recommend reading the whole series so you get the story lines of the characters.
“Emmeline O’Shea is determined to save the world—single-handedly, if necessary. A strong voice for societal reform, she is the natural choice to deliver a key speech at the end of the International Shifter Rights Organization’s week-long Summit in Scotland.

But when a death threat arrives at Emme’s home, she is immediately placed into protective custody, watched over by none other than her personal nemesis, Detective-Inspector Oliver Reed. The two have crossed paths many times, with disastrous results, but now they will have to work together in order to reach the Summit before midnight of the last day in order to ensure legislation is passed to protect the Shifter community.

As unseen enemies close in around Emme and Oliver, they struggle to reach Edinburgh by any means necessary, only to find Emme’s vindictive stepsister, Oliver’s vampire brother, and a dangerous political minefield awaiting them in Scotland.

Even more difficult is their own refusal to admit that the fiery animosity that once burned between them might be turning into the heat of romantic passion. Could a straitlaced policeman determined to uphold the law and an outspoken activist willing to break the rules ever find true love? Or will all their dreams shatter like glass when the clock strikes midnight?”

Heat Factor: Their first kiss was boring
Character Chemistry: Hate and love are two sides of the same coin
Plot: It’s marketed as Steampunk Cinderella but it’s more enemies-to-lovers / bodyguard / road trip
Overall: DNF at 50%. I was slogging and then just couldn’t take it any more when Gus-Gus the friendly pumpkin farmer appeared.

If I’m reading a Cinderella romance, here’s what I want:
- A rags to riches story
- The poor protagonist interacting with the rich protagonist under false pretences
- The moment of recognition, when the rich protagonist sees the poor protagonist as the true love despite class differences, usually with the help of a token (a shoe, a ring, etc)

Any of these elements may be literal or metaphorical.

Traditionalists might also want other classic trappings like evil step-sisters, a magical helper, a pumpkin carriage, or a glass slipper, but I’m not so picky. “Billy Beg and his Bull” is definitely a version of Cinderella, even though Billy dresses up all fancy to fight a dragon, not go dancing.

I was therefore not super stoked when I started reading this “Cinderella retelling” and quickly discovered that there’s no rags to riches and no false pretenses during the interactions between the hero and heroine. There is a big event that we’re building up to that will happen at midnight, and some evil step-sisters, and the aforementioned Gus-Gus, but not the arc that builds to the moment of recognition.

Despite this not actually being a Cinderella retelling, there was some decent potential here. Emme is a lead activist in the shifters rights movement. Oliver is a detective who frequently arrests her when the rallies she organizes get a little out of hand. Emme thinks Oliver is an authoritarian stooge; Oliver thinks Emme is a rabble rouser. When Oliver is assigned bodyguard duty after Emme receives a threatening letter, we’ve got an excellent opportunity for erstwhile enemies to spend some time together.

However, I had some problems with the execution of this shift:
- Oliver quickly makes clear, to both the reader and Emme, that he absolutely agrees with her cause, just not her tactics. Because he obviously needs to be as thoughtful as possible, since he’s an officer of the law. So the tension of the enmity dissipates pretty early and without much pizazz.
- Similarly, the shift to lovers just...happens. There’s a little bit of tension on Emme’s part, because things were simpler when she hated him, but they both are like, well this was inevitable.
- I found it hard to swallow that Oliver and Emme had had no other social interactions beyond the confrontational arrests, given that his three best friends are married to her three best friends.
- And finally, Emme is just obnoxious. I am all about “difficult” or “unlikable” female characters, but Emme is a ninny who refuses to take the threats on her life seriously. Also her outfits are basically someone cosplaying “steampunk”, complete with top hat tipped at just the right angle with goggles on top and I found this irrationally annoying.

When I found myself reading two pages and then putting the book down to go do some dishes or scrub some grout, I figured that discretion was the better part of valor and bravely ran away.



I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report. (Early Oct)

Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts by Nancy Campbell Allen is number 4 in her steampunk proper romance series. It is a loose retelling of Cinderella. Emmeline O'Shea is a fierce defender of shifter rights, and has worked her way up to being the spokeswoman for the International Shifter's Rights Organization. She has had to deal with the Detective Inspector Oliver Reed every time he pulls her out of the protests and puts her in jail. When she receives death threats proceeding her journey to the convention where the world will vote on shifter's rights, DI Reed is appointed her body guard, to watch over her day and night. Neither one of them is very excited about spending every moment together, or are they??

This book is a must read for anyone who loves a mystery, action, and some good old enemies-to-lovers clean romance story! The beginning was a little slow, but it was just setting up for the action packed last half of the book. I love how this book has hints of Cinderella, but isn't a direct retelling. I loved how she created a character "Gus Gus" that correlated with the Cinderella story, but also was just who was needed in this rendition. Even though this is book number 4 in the steampunk series, we are still being introduced to new steampunk contraptions. The scene with the Jump Wings, and directly after that, were my absolute favorite in the book!

There were a few parts of the book that I felt went on and on, and other parts of the book that I felt were not detailed enough. But overall, it is a great book!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Comes out in October.

This was a fun light romance and finished out this Steampunk Proper Romance series this time with the Cinderella story as the base.

Summary: Detective-Inspector Oliver Reed is assigned to guard social activist Emme O'Shea on her trip to Scotland where she will speak at an important summit on Shifter rights, but getting her there safely will be a challenge-especially when the two of them realize they might be falling in love with each other.

I've really enjoyed Allen's steampunk fairy tale retellings! This is a re-telling that is loosely based on CInderella.  I like that Allen's retellings are more subtle and it was fun to find the similarities. I liked Emme and Oliver and I think they are both solid and strong characters.  This story had a few twists at the end that I wasn't expecting.  I hope that this is not the ending of this series and that perhaps the next novel is about Madeline. I highly recommend it for fans of fairy tale type books!