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 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.*

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.

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.

I do believe this series gets better with each new story! I devoured The Lady in the Coppergate Tower, needing only two settings and a few hours to tear through each adventure- and romance-filled page. This one has a gothic feel with the dark and possibly/probably evil Count Petrescu orchestrating the trip to his home in Romania. Neither Hazel, Sam, nor the reader trust him and they trust his henchman Renton even less. At one point, Hazel surmises Petrescu is a vampire. Possible because he has a henchman named Renton….. By the way, vampires do exist in this world.

You know what else they have in this world? Automatons. Or ‘tons. Eugene is what is described as a ‘high-functioning automaton…with exceptional programming.’ Basically, he has a personality and is a source of irritation for Sam and humor for the rest of us. I did enjoy Eugene’s character very much.

Sam and Izzy have a friendship that both would like to be more, though neither will admit it. Sam thinks Izzy only wants friendship and her career. Izzy thinks Sam wants a wife from his own social class. The circumstances of their travel will bring them closer together – maybe together enough that they might just work something out. Their witty conversation and occasional flirting made for delightful reading. The climactic ending with one of them almost dying made for a sharp inhale and a slow, relieved exhale.

The Lady in the Coppergate Tower is the third book in Nancy Campbell Allen’s Steampunk Proper Romance series. I’ve enjoyed all three so I can tell you that each books 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.

Another great steampunk fairy tale!

This is the third steampunk fairy tale romance from Nancy Campbell Allen. We start in London but this time we travel to Romania and you know what that means—vampire legends and dark magic!

Hazel and Sam’s romance weaves through this story of revealed family secrets, intrigue and betrayal, with a healthy dose of steampunk.

I loved all the steampunk elements—they added to the story without getting bogged down in the tech. The characters were well-written and interesting. I enjoy the fact that all the books in this series are interrelated and we get to see previous characters from the other books pop up now and then.

I really liked the twist to Rapunzel in this book. There are definite correlations, but not so much that it became a simple retelling. There’s more story, more depth, more twists and mysteries than a simple fairy tale.

There’s also romance. This book, as with the others in the series, is categorized as a “Proper Romance” which it is (clean with nothing embarrassing) but the romance is almost secondary to the story. It’s still very important and romance readers will appreciate that, but it’s not overpowering—which I actually prefer.

I’m looking forward to more of Allen’s steampunk romances. I highly recommend it and give it 4.5 STARS.

The best parts of Nancy Campbell Allen's steampunk fairy tale are definitely the steampunk parts - the automaton characters, the descriptions of the submarine, the power and opportunity allowed women in a story set in "Victorian" times. But I found parts of this story very slow moving, I was disappointed that the "lady" did not show up until almost the end, and I think the story would have worked better if the author hadn't labored so hard to fit in all the elements from Rapunzel.

I read an advance reader copy of The Lady in the Coppergate Tower from Netgalley. It is scheduled to be published on August 6.

This is quite the proper addition to the Proper Romance series of steampunk romance books. The steampunk aspect is not overwhelming, but creates a different background aspect for the series. I like that the characters are interlaced from one book to the next and look forward to who the next focus may be.

*Review of eARC received from NetGalley*

I’ve enjoyed all of these steampunk fairy tales from Nancy Campbell Allen, but this one is by far my favorite! It’s based on “Rapunzel,” yes, but it also blends elements from “Dracula” and other horror-genre stories quite well. It’s like something brand new, which is what you want to happen with a retelling like this. Everyone’s heard the original, and just redoing that one straight-up is kind of boring. Which this is anything but.

I loved the fact that Hazel and Sam are removed from London, meaning we get a completely new setting to explore and which brings out character traits that neither would have exhibited if they’d stayed somewhere familiar and comfortable. Also, Sam’s ‘ton, Eugene (which, I see what you did there) is a delight and a half.

Hazel’s uncle Count Dravor is a great villain, too. Even from the beginning when he’s being all charming and suave and seems like he’s Hazel’s best chance for family, you can tell that there’s some else going on. Even without the benefit of knowing that this story is based on fairy tales and folklore, everything about him screams “Bad News!” Though I will admit there were a few moments where I thought that maybe he wasn’t so bad - so he’d even charmed me like he did Hazel.

Overall, an exciting story and one I enjoyed quite a bit. I will probably even re-read it at some point because I enjoyed it just that much.

I was so excited to receive an advance copy of this book! I love this author, especially her books written in this steampunk setting. Her characters are wonderful, and Sam and Hazel are no exception. The denouement could have taken a bit more time, but overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to fans of the previous books in the series. It could also easily be read before the others, which is a lovely thing about this series.

I have absolutely loved this series of books by Nancy Campbell Allen, and this book was no different. I loved the characters, especially Hazel who was a smart, independent woman. Definite five stars from me.

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.

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!

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.

I enjoyed this book it was a nice twist on a fairy tale. It is part of a series but I read it just fine as a stand alone. It was beautifully written and very memorable.

Another enjoyable installment in this series. It’s fun to see what new powers and scientific gadgets Allen will come up with. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy clean romance, intricate steampunk settings and mystery.

While Rapunzel has never been a favorite fairytale at least until Disney's Tangled gave her spunk. I did enjoy this one and the the steampunk aspect just added to the series. While the beauty and the beast one will all always be my favorite of this series. I have to say this one comes in second.