4.5 stars, rounded up

This book tried to be a bunch of things, and at first it left me reeling a bit! I was so unsure where it was heading. In the end it’s basically a steampunk scavenger hunt across Europe, with a dash of romance and suspense and family love. Once I caught my stride and bonded with the characters, I enjoyed it more and more all the way up to the end. Her mom is a bit much but I honestly know a lady who would probably do exactly that sort of thing if dropped in that setting! I have to say, an ermine as a pet is one of the most unusual ones I’ve encountered in a book (though not in real life!)

The descriptions are excellent, making me feel like I’m right there while reading. It’s a brilliant concept and I’m definitely going to be buying Angela Bell’s next book because it’s a really well done release!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. A favorable review was not required.

An charming story, whimsical and highly entertaining, from a debut author.
This story starts out a bit slow, but then it kind of has a way of capturing and captivating.
I especially enjoyed the scavenger/treasure hunt.
The automatons were quite fascinating, and it was so fun to see what would pop up next!

The characters were likeable and realistic, and I also really enjoyed watching them grow.

I highly recommend this novel!

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

The book was good, but kind of bland. I really enjoyed the eccentric family nonsense, but the plot itself was not that solid. As a Christian I can appreciate relying on God, but it kind of felt like an excuse not to write a more in depth solution. I am not saying that it can't be done, I just think it could have been done better. Not a terrible book, it is a fun, clean, fluffy romance, so go read it if it sounds good to you.

This debut is a whimsical Victorian adventure full of so many unique things: Animatrons, globe-trotting, sweet romance, a gallant (and disabled) hero, and refreshing faith threads. This imaginative novel is a journey full of hope that will leave you uplifted.

Read if you love:
✨ Debut Authors
✨ Victorian Adventure
✨ Romance
✨ Lovable Characters
✨ Witty Banter
✨ Faith Themed Books

Victorian, slightly steampunk feeling, and full of whimsy and intrigue. I love the nod to the Nutcracker. What a fun time this book was. I'll galdly recommend to my Christian Inspiration loving patrons as something a bit different for them to try.

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure is a delightfully funny, quirky and enjoyable Victorian novel with a twist. The twist is that it’s basically a steampunk adventure, with flying machines, a mad inventor, and Victorian robots in a madcap trip to various parts of Europe.

A hero with PTSD, a clever and intriguing (as well as nerdy) heroine and her mother who has a menagerie of injured and orphaned animals. Including a tortoise called Donatello. Hmm, yes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reference there, but I will let it pass because I enjoyed the book.
Angela Bell’s debut novel is a delight. I would certainly read her next one.

I requested this title via Netgalley: this did not influence my opinions which are entirely my own and freely given.

I ended up really enjoying this novel. Set in Victorian England with lightest of steampunk touches, this adventure has a bad guy chasing the good guys - but it also has the loveliest storyline of Clara regaining her faith - in God, in humanity, in her family. I loved the intertwining of story with character development. There are also some great secondary character development arcs.

I loved this book! Clara Stanton is a true product of her quirky family and her recent heartbreak. When her Grandfather Drosselmeyer hires an apprentice clockmaker and runs off on an adventure without her, Clara knows that it is her responsibility to bring him safely home. However, the journey doesn't start they way she planned, when this apprentice, known as Arthur, joins her and her mother. As they travel to different countries and cities, her grandfather leaves behind automated "clues" they have to follow to reach their final destination, but they are not the only ones following Drosselmeyer. Clara's ex-fiance has been making their lives miserable for a long time and he isn't going to stop until he reaches his goal. As Clara follows the clues, she discovers more than the sights and sounds they are exploring she re-discovers who she is and Who she belongs to. She refinds faith and more.

Filled with fabulous adventures and misadventures, a little suspense and wonderful character growth. I bookmarked multiple pages that were filled with quotable writing. At times, I couldn't read fast enough, and at others, I stopped to ponder a deep thought or beautifully chosen language. This was a fun read, with a Christian worldview and a strong message. I would highly recommend it, and I will be watching for future books!

What a wonderfully delightful book! I often found myself giggling as I read this beautiful prose that transported me back in time. I loved the language, vagabond invokes so much imagery and she used this kind of verbiage throughout. For a debut novel this grabbed my attention from the very beginning so I hope that will not be her last. The characters were rich, the plot kept me engrossed and when I was done I knew that I would be missing Clara and her eclectic family!

Join Clara and a mysterious one-legged gentleman as they follow her eccentric grandfather's clues all over Europe! I loved this book so so so so much. Think steampunk Mary Poppins meets Jules Verne, with the characters from The Nutcracker Ballet and classic literature. This was the kind of book I didn't want to put down--but I also didn't want it to end. The setting was so captivating and vibrant that I hope it becomes a movie (with the vibe of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium) someday. There were so many literary Easter eggs in here that I know I'll be re-reading it to find them all..

Thanks to the publisher for a complementary advance copy of this book.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In 1860 London Clara's family stands out. Her animal activist mother, her bookish father, and her inventor grandfather are all sources of gossip for the ton. Add in a vindictive and money hungry ex fiance, and Clara must work overtime to stop the rumor mill from churning new rumors. Born with her grandfather's wanderlust, Clara wishes for security and peace and the chance to see the world. One day her grandfather decides to take one of his inventions, a flying machine, and leader her on a scavenger hunt across Europe. She is joined by her mother and her grandfather's new apprentice, Theo, who has many secrets of his own. But her ex fiance is on their trail and won't stop until her secures Clara's fortune.

This was a fun adventure. I loved the characters and all their quirkiness as well as the various European destinations. I could have used a little more development in the romantic relationship but still enjoyed the book!

Read if you love:
-Enemies to more trope
-Rescue animals
-Around the World in 80 Days
-Fierce female characters
-A small touch of faith

A failed engagement leaves Clara playing protector to her family of eccentrics, lest her ex-fiance have them committed as insane. When her grandfather takes in an apprentice for his clockmaking shop, a broken vagabond with a false name, Clara is certain he’s a spy sent by her ex-fiance. Then her grandfather takes to the skies in a flying machine he invented, bidding both Clara and Theodore, his apprentice, to follow his clues in a scavenger hunt across Europe. As Clara attempts to find her grandfather before the wrong people do, she may just have to let go of the idea that protecting everyone she loves is entirely up to her.

This book has everything I love in this genre and then some. Both of the main characters are complex, well-crafted characters. Side characters are colorful and fun. There’s adventure, symbolism, and romance that doesn’t take over the story. Though perhaps the heavy burdens that both Clara and Theodore carry throughout much of the story is a bit overdone, they both separately culminate in ways that I loved. There’s one scene in particular on Theodore’s side that brought tears to my eyes. There is quite a bit of Christian-related content in this book, but to me, it’s not the amount of references to God or the Bible that can make that content feel forced or preachy but the way it’s used, whether it’s well-infused with the story being told or not, and I felt Bell did a great job of having it all work together.

What really made this book fun and adventurous was the side characters, namely Clara’s mother (lovingly denoted “Mrs. S.” by Theodore), with her penchant for collecting abandoned or broken critters, and Clara’s grandfather (“Grand” to her and “Drosselmeyer” to Theodore), who isn’t present for much of the story overall, but drives the plot with his scavenger hunt and words of wisdom about Clara’s tendency toward self-reliance. I don’t know how realistic Grand’s automaton inventions were for that time period (or for modern times, even), but I truly do not care. They appealed to my escape-room-loving heart and added so much whimsy to the story.

I’m a fairly picky reader, but I loved this book and recommend it for fans of historical Christian fiction. If you enjoy this book, I strongly suggest checking out the author’s contribution to The Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection, a book of short stories by different authors. Her story was my favorite in that collection (and also involved automatons) and what led me to look for other writings of hers just in time to read this debut novel, and I’m so glad I did!

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels And Misadventure gives a nod to several literary treasures, including The Nutcracker, Around The World in Eighty Days, and Heidi. But this debut by Angela Bell is no knock-off! With its steampunk vibe, fabulously fun Victorian settings and whimsy, and charming and colorful characters, this novel is so very good! Clara is burdened by many things, taking her grandfather’s childhood nickname, Little Atlas, to heart as she shoulders the family griefs and scandals. But her grandfather has other plans for her as he sets her on an adventure accompanied by his apprentice Arthur and chaperoned by her mother, the animal-activist Mrs. S. It takes some doing for Clara to lighten up, but she finally embraces the adventure as she solves a treasure hunt across Europe. I loved both main characters — the grumpy Clara and sunshine-y Arthur — as they made their way to each other and towards a God who provides, protects, and keeps His promises. The group travels by boat and train, with stops in fascinating cities all orchestrated by Drosslemeyer to delight and enlighten. It certainly delighted me! I admit to googling places and foods as I sought to immerse myself in this book. A dastardly villain keeps the characters on their toes as well — I gasped along with them. As the raucous romp continues, a strong faith thread is developed. This novel is full of surprises, not the least being the profound truths that made me stop and think about my own journey through life.

Fun and fabulous are two descriptors that fit A Lady’s Guide to Marvels And Misadventure. You are going to want to go along on this ride. I laughed, shed a few tears, and definitely learned a thing or two!

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults

First I LOVE steampunk, so I’m going to go ahead and classify this as Christian steampunk lol I don’t know if that’s a thing or not. The author is probably cringing lol 😂

Clara is the main character and she is really struggling with letting others help her. 😬 I don’t know about you all but this hit all kinds of nerves with me. My favorite line out of the book was probably “Miss Clara Marie Stanton did not require smelling salts in the face of crisis. She did not swoon. She did not blubber. She was resilient and self sufficient woman because life had molded her into one after “sharing her dream and burdens” provided disastrous”. Mmmhmm yup that just described me.

And my husband would appreciate this one “If your sarcasm ever dulls, it shant be from lack of use ” lol guilty as charged again.

Honestly there were so many quotes I saved. I had this on my kindle but will be getting a physical copy because it was so good.

This was an incredibly fun and unusual book! It took me a bit to get into it at first, but after the first few chapters the pace definitely picks up. The mother's obsession with animals gets a little old at times, though it does add comedic relief at the oddest moments. But the combination of Victorian England (and beyond across the rest of Europe with their adventures) with a slight steampunk vibe just makes for a fun and unique story that has some beautiful Scriptural lessons along the way. I'll definitely be adding this one to my church library shelves!

This is the first by this author that I have read. It is not what I expected. I loved the steampunk and Christian undertones. The characters were well written and had amazing personalities . The story followed well but I did find it a bit heavy in the reading. I loved the humour, I have never read anything like this before. I will look forward to reading more by this author. I received this as an ARC from netgalley and freely give my review.

This was not my usual read, but it was fun to branch out. It was nothing I was expecting, but still an enjoyable read. I liked it.

A rollicking story filled with quirky characters and lots of heart, A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure is a smashing debut. I loved Clara; she has a sweet and kindhearted nature, but it's tempered with cleverness and a good dose of adventure. Theodore was the perfect match for her. He was sweet and intelligent and adventurous. With a layered cast of background characters and sweeping adventure taking place in varied locations lovingly detailed, Angela Bell pens a debut that is not only sure to please fans of inspirational historical fiction, but also ensures that this book should not be her last.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

It's an entertaining and well plotted story that kept me reading and turning pages. I liked the characters and appreciated the style of writing.
One note: the last part was a bit too heavy on the religious side making the storytelling more clunky.
There's potential but the I found the last part a bit slow.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine