This Victorian book was wonderful. It was full of fun and adventure. It had a little romance and a little mystery. It was a little steampunk with automatons.

Clara is a part of a wealthy family and she is trying to hold that family together after the death of her grandmother. Her grandfather hires an apprentice who goes by Mr. Arthur as he has his own secrets and is trying to reinvent himself.

Grandfather fancies himself a matchmaker and sends the two, along with Clara's mother on the trip of a lifetime, It is a mystery to figure out, but also there to figure out is Clara learning to live again, Mr. Arthur learning to trust again, and both of them discovering truths about God and themselves.

This is a Christian fiction with a strong message about trusting in God even in the darkest moments. With all the wonder of the story, the lessons about God are well done and a perfect fit within the story. It is a magical tale with a few twists and turns along the way.

I hated to put this one down for the real world around me. It was a beautifully written escape to a world of wonder and possibility within Clara's life.

This is definitely on a list to read again. I received an early copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest review.,

This was a new to me author and I was greatly influenced to give it a try! The cover is so enticing and fun! I enjoyed the quirky and a bit eccentric characters. I had no idea at the time I read this book that there would be steampunk or slight fantasy elements in this story, so admittedly it took me a minute to wrap my head around that concept! However, the authors writing is creative and engaging and the story really had me invested right from the beginning. I found this to be entertaining and enjoyable and was happy to have given this new author a try!

I enjoyed this story! The characters were a tad extreme, but I found them likeable (for the most part). The journey was very special, and the lessons learned by Clara and Theodore touched my heart and caused me to pray my own prayers. The animals were a nice, unique touch to the story. I actually found the villain and that story line unnecessary (other than the character development in Clara); the journey was enough for me. That being said, I did enjoy this story and look forward to reading more from the author. Recommend!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Oh MY Gosh !!! this book made my belly chuckle so many times .

I really loved the quirky and different feelings this book gave me. For historic fiction it really made the book for me it really did give it that edge to story which was just PERFECT !!

The plot to the story overall i thought was the perfect enemies to lovers romance , i love also so much of the mystery and thrilling moment it would pull the carpet from under your feet the connection between every character was brilliant you could not ask for more .

i thought that Angela writing over all was great and very well paced , her character and world building was on point and as she did touch on some very hard subjects to like P.T.S.D ill be honest that had to write about but i think she she wrote about it very carefully which i think is perfect .

I really did love the story so much Clara as a character is a very strong female i really love that from a historic book . also Theodore my gosh the chemistry between the two hello !! just what you need from the perfect enemies to lovers read .

im giving this masterpiece of thrilling love 5 stars

A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure proved to be such a wonderful mix of Victorian whimsy and steampunk! With nods and inspiration drawn from the likes of Around the World in 80 Days and The Nutcracker (two of the main characters are named Clara and Drosselmeyer) there is much to delight readers in this tale.

‘…her ever-amused family found their new title of “dangerous loons” quite hilarious and saw no reason to temper their eccentric habits.’

It’s whimsical. It’s full of adventure. A scavenger hunt across Victorian Europe with a cast of quirky characters and a wide variety of automatons to boot! An adventure mystery that is eccentric, humourous and somewhat bizarre. Anything is possible and more than likely probable in this larger than life story.

‘Crafted of weighty silver, the pen was outfitted with a lid, hook, and chain for attaching to a chatelaine, while the pocket-size journal, bound in crimson leather, was embossed with the words ‘An Adventurous Lady’s Guide to Travel’.

There is also a more serious side where readers contemplate how Grandfather’s clues are his way of encouraging Clara - a bit of soul searching and learning to believe again through her trust in God. This story has strong faith connections and trusting that God will sort things out.

If quirky Victorian, a touch of Steampuch and a scavenger hunt mystery sound appealing, look no further. A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure will prove the perfect escape.











This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Oh my goodness, this book was SO MUCH FUN!!! 😆😂😍 I don’t think any other book has made me laugh so much or so hard (I was seriously cackling)!!

Combine The Nutcracker, Around the World in 80 Days, a healthy dose of whimsy, bucketload of humor, and some sweet enemies-to-lovers romance with tons of witty banter, and you get A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure! From the first chapter, I fell in love with Clara’s eccentric family, especially her mother who is **extremely** passionate about animal rights and has a house full of disabled pets including a blind monkey named Bartimaeus 😂 I absolutely loved every second of following Clara and company on her grandfather Drosselmeyer’s scavenger hunt around Europe, and I was honestly sad to see the adventure end!

There were so many hilarious moments I wish I could quote here, but there’s too many to fit in this review and you won’t be able to get the full effect unless you read the book!! So just go read it, and I promise you will have a delightful time 😂😆😍👏🏻 Mrs. S and her living ermine “stole”, Fred, were my favorite characters in the book for sure 🤣 and most of my favorite moments/scenes involved them! LOL

What makes this book even better is that it’s not just fantastical and hilarious. It’s also filled with beautiful faith content from cover to cover! Clara and Theodore are each transformed spiritually as they travel the continent together, and all of the nuggets of truth woven in along the way were so good. I found myself wanting to highlight several really great quotes! 🩵

A brilliant debut, and one that will be on my top reads of 2024 list, without a doubt!! I’m so excited to see what other stories Angela brings to the world!

**I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure is a historical fantasy novel set in 1860s London. Clara feels the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her engagement is broken, and her fiancé has been spreading the rumor that madness runs in her family. Her family is …eccentric. When her Grandfather Drosselmeyer sets off on a European trip on his flying owl, he leaves her clues to find him. She sets off on an adventure around Europe with her mother, and her Grandfather’s apprentice, Mr. Arthur. Will they be able to find her grandfather before it is too late?

My thoughts on this novel:
• The adventure, clues, and travel made this a very fun read.

• Clara’s eccentric mother was a hoot. She was an animal activist before her time. There was no creature too small for her care.

• Mr. Arthur has a sad back story of his own and is really Mr. Theodore Kingsley. He is a former soldier that struggles with a leg disability and with PTSD. His family had shunned him because of this. There was little support for veterans during the Victorian age.

• Clara and Theodore had wonderful enemies to lovers’ romance.

• I enjoyed the Christian message in the novel that Clara and Theodore needed to give their worries to the lord and move on with their lives. The message was a part of the plot, and it was a larger focus in the second half of the novel.

• This was a wonderful debut novel, and I can’t wait to see what author Angela Bell works on next.

• This novel is a clean romance.

• I loved the steampunk vibe with the automatons that grandfather invented including the giant owl that he flies around Europe on. He also invents an automaton that hatches from an egg and other neat items. This leant a fantasy/sci fi element to an otherwise historical fiction novel.

• The only weakness in the novel to me was the villain. His back story and actions didn’t quite make sense to me.

• I read the first half of this book physically and finished it on audiobook as I had a lot of driving to do for work. I enjoyed both formats!

Overall, A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventures is a fun, unique adventure and I highly recommend it.

This book was so much fun to read!

It has a little bit of everything: a dastardly villain, a strong heroine, a bit of mystery, a bit of adventure, and a smattering of romance.

But even better—automatons! Yes, it has serious steampunk vibes! And the craziest menagerie of misfit animals, and the wildest characters…it’s just marvelous!

Here’s hoping for more stories from Angela Bell! I received an advance copy from the publisher. My review has not been solicited and is completely truthful.

I honestly loved this quirky adventure in this enemies-to-lovers romance! I didn’t realize that it was also technically labeled Christian fiction, and while I’m not a fan of Christian lit, there wasn’t a whole lot of focus on the religious stuff. It honestly felt thrown in, like the author was just trying to humor Christian readers. In my mind I just omitted those parts and the story still worked. If you love hilarious characters, around the world in 80 days vibes, and a heartwarming romance this is a great choice for you!

#BookReview : A LADY'S GUIDE TO MARVELS AND MISADVENTURE by Angela Bell

It was so much fun reading this fun historical fiction and I just love the quote below.

“Oh, Clara Marie. The Lord never promised that life would be safe. But He did promise to be with us always. Whatever the harrowing journey of life may bring, rest assured, you shall never be left to face it alone.”

I never expected to love this book. The eccentric characters, the amazing automatons and the immersive details about the cities and interesting buildings in the area made this book unputdownable. I enjoyed following Clara on her adventures as well as her journey of learning more about herself and life. I especially love the faith weaved in the story through her grandfather's clues. The wisdom imparted were precious. I took my time reading this book to savor all the good things about it. I can't wait for the next book by the author. I highly recommend.

Rating: 5 ⭐
Pub date: 27 Feb 2024

Thank you Bethany House Publishers and #netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell is such a fun book to read! Featuring an eccentric but loveable cast of characters, an array of settings to satisfy any literary travel bug, and many nuggets of faith throughout the novel, this was a book that kept my attention from beginning to end!

The characters in A Lady's Guide took some time to grow on me. Heroine Clara Stanton begins the story as a grouchy and cautious young woman with a tendency to want to control everything around her. She frequently beats heads with her grandfather's new protegee, the mysterious Arthur, who has charmed everyone in her family but her. As the story progresses, though, Clara and Arthur need to depend upon each other and learn from each other. They help each other to grow and I came to really enjoy their story.

I loved learning about all of the cities that the characters travel to in this book. A Lady's Guide takes the reader on a literary tour of nineteenth century Europe, and I thought it was so fun that Bell chose to bring her characters to cities that we don't often see in literature. So many of the locations mentioned were familiar to me only by name, and I had fun looking up the various landmarks that the characters visited.

My very favorite part of the book was reading the letters from Clara's grandfather, whom she affectionately refers to as Grand. He passes on so many nuggets of faith and wisdom to her - I highlighted so many lines because they were just so good!

I really enjoyed reading A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure! If you enjoy books with great character arcs and lots of traveling, I think you'd like this story a lot!

I just finished this gem over the weekend! A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure is @authorangelabell's debut novel and it did not disappoint!

Miss Clara Stanton's sole purpose is to protect her family from society gossip and avoid rumors that they all suffer from insanity (or so her ex-fiance says). But soon, the clockmaker grandfather disappears into the sky in a secret owl machine starting Clara, her mother and Grand's mysterious new apprentice on an adventure of a lifetime.

I loved the steampunk Victorian era vibes in this one! The author takes us all over Europe with fun details, new sights, and mysterious inventions her grandfather left as clues.

This book has great faith elements and a sweet romance. Theodore is a delight! The banter between him and Clara was fantastic. Such a charmer that one!

Great read for Christian fiction lovers who like a little quirky, fun adventure! Thank you @austenprose
And @bethanyhousefiction for my #gifted copy!

*Romance- kisses
*TW- grief, kidnapping
#aladysguidetomarvelsandmisadventure #angelabell #historicalromance #victorianromance #inspirationalfiction #bookstagram #newbooks #bookreview #booktwitter #booktour #austenprosepr

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure, a debut novel by Angela Bell, is simply wonderful faith-based romantic historical fiction. Set in the Victorian Period, this adventure with a touch of mystery features characters are who are engaging, and the plot is full of twists and turns. Clara and her family are so quirky and interesting; Arthur, the apprentice, just adds in more fun and romance. I cannot wait to read the next novel by Bell! Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I was particularly drawn to the cover and premise of this book, and decided to give it a go after hearing many a fellow reader comment how entertaining and downright funny it was.

There certainly were some literal-LOL moments, but I couldn't get into it! The story didn't draw me in, and some of the characters I found annoying more than anything--which was sad. What seemed meant to be funny fell into "over the top" instead.

I read a good chunk of it but unfortunately it just wasn't for me, so I'm DNFing at this time. I may try again later; perhaps my timing was off.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Clara and Theodore were fun characters, and the romance between them was cute. Their verbal sparring was fun. Mrs. Stanton was a fun twist on the mentor trope with the uniqueness of her character. Also, Fred was pretty fantastic. (IYKYK 😉)

I was impressed by how Bell wove the Biblical elements into the novel without it coming across as preachy. While the faith content was definitely present in the novel, I think it worked well because of Clara’s character arc and how relatable it was.

The automation elements added a touch of almost steampunk to the book, which was fun. I would have appreciated a note at the end about what automatons were like during that time period, though that's mostly because of my own curiosity.

Be warned, this book will leave you wishing you would go travel across Europe. I loved all of the little elements of each city Clara and Co. visited, especially the food. It added a level of depth to the settings. 

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure is a fun, light-hearted book, while also having rich and meaningful themes.

A whimsical, faith filled, redemption, steampunk story. I felt this had a great & funny open. Throughout there was good humor. Romance was apart of the story but also family and letting go of unnecessary heavy burdens. Plus, fun travel. Well rounded story telling with no preachy messages. I loved the characters. I was impressed with this debut author & I'd read her again. It was a longer book and slow build romance book as an fyi. With this it is really a your mileage may vary. Overall it was a 4/4.5 star read for me since it was 40 chapters. The story didn't drag for me but still felt long. However, I did enjoy the story and think this author is one to try.

If I could only use one work to describe this book it would be whimsical! I loved A Lady’s Guide so much! Angela Bell will take you on an adventure throughout Europe searching for clues left by her grandfather.
You will love this book if you like adventure, quirky characters and a bit of romance.

Ps. I want an ermine!

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell is a wonderful Victorian historical romance! Clara Marie Stanton’s ex-fiancé has spread rumors about her family making Clara suspicious of everyone! Theodore Kingsley loves repairing clocks and keeps his identify a secret. Clara’s grandfather, Drosselmeyer, hires him and Clara does not trust him. Only a great adventure can change their minds.

This story is a sheer delight! I was intrigued from the beginning and enjoyed my travels all over Europe on a scavenger hunt chasing a flying owl. (That alone should intrigue you to read this story.) The characters were so interesting that I found myself invested and wanting to become their friends. The humor that Clara’s relatives bring to the story kept me laughing and wondering what would happen next. I loved walking with Clara and Theodore as they transformed into their true selves and were set free from their pasts. The threads of faith were beautifully and naturally a part of the story.

A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventures was a fabulous story that will stay with me. I adored the adventure, romance and transformative characters. This will be a highlight book of 2024 for me. I highly recommend.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review

I thoroughly enjoyed the book “A Ladies Guide to Marvels and Misadventure” by Angela Bell. I was granted early access to it via NetGalley and Baker Publishing Group.

This is a book filled with adventure, mystery, frivolity, fun, faith, hope, rediscovery, a bit of suspense and steampunk, and a romance.

Bell’s writing style is very poetic which is a delight to read. We follow her heroine, Miss Clara Marie Stanton, her mother – Mrs. S, and her grandfather’s apprentice, Theodore aka “Arthur,” on a journey to some wonderous locations. They start in London and head to the continent following Grand’s clues. Bell’s descriptions of the locations are delightful! But we are not the only ones who follow the trio or Grand, who is flying in a mechanical owl that he built. The newspapers are tracking his movements trying to figure out who created this wonder and where it will appear next. Also, following them is Clara’s ex-finance, who is the villain in this novel as he is desperate for money and has threatened Clara and her family to extort it from them.

Because of the betrayal of her fiancé and some spies he had sent into her home, Clara is very distrusting of Theodore/Arthur to start. However, he proves he is working with them and not against them and Clara’s attitude starts to shift. Theodore/Arthur didn’t help things initially as his own past left him hurting, broken, and hiding – thus the reason he calls himself “Arthur” instead of using his given name. Both Clara and Theodore come to share the things of the past that have hurt them and they both turn to God to help heal them and protect those they love.

Mrs. S – Clara’s mom, is the comic relief in the story. She has a soft spot for all animals and champions their rights. She has a trained ferret that plays dead by being her stole. She defends rats on the ship, saves baby foxes, and keeps collecting animals throughout their journey.

This is a Christian novel and there are references to God and scripture.

I think this book would be fabulous for anyone who has lost their joy in life due to fear and a need to be in control.

I really did love the book and would recommend it!

Oh, that was beautiful poetic writing filled with adventure and whimsy. Just imagine: a large owl automaton, automatons that respond to the clockmaker's call, the menagerie of animals, and the journey across Europe! Add to that the quirky cast of characters and we've got such a fun story.

It was also full of hurts that needed mending: of learning how to let go of control, depend on other people; of letting go of guilt. And how that's only possible if you learn to depend on the Maker and give all your shame and guilt to Him.

Clara and Theodore were loveable yet flawed characters (also, disability rep!) who found their way in the world with the help of the people around them, who also helped rebuild their faith. I also really loved Clara's grandfather Drosselmayer who orchestrated their whole adventure.

Beautiful story chockful of wisdom and beautiful message 💕

I love discovering new sub-genres of Christian fiction that stay true to biblical teachings, while presenting them in fun ways. Thank you to Bethany House Publishers and Angela Bell for a chance to read this book in advance.

Read if you like:
🕰️ Historical romance (late Regency time period)
🌍 Adventure and traveling
✨ Whimsical inventions
🦊 Cute animals
📖 Strong faith elements

Other details and mild spoilers:
Dual third-person POV
CW: war, death, emotional and mental trauma, stalking, incarceration