Audiobook Review – Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts (Proper Steampunk Romance, Book 4) by Nancy Campbell Allen, Narrated by Justine Eyre (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Steampunk/Romance
Length: 8 hours and 15 minutes
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: August 11, 2020
ASIN : B086WQCTTQ
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in the Proper Steampunk Romance series
Source: Audiobook from Audible.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

“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?”

Series Info/Source: This is the fourth book in the Steampunk Proper Romance series. I bought this audiobook from Audible.

Audiobook Quality (4/5): I listened to this book on audiobook and it was very well done. No complaints, the narrator does an excellent job.

Story (4/5): This was exactly what I thought it was going to be. There’s a good mystery here paired with a decent romance. All in all it was a fun steampunk romp. This is supposed to be a retelling of Cinderella and I think that’s a bit of a stretch. There are some elements that make this similar to Cinderella but they felt kind of forced. I would be reluctant to recommend this to someone who is only looking for a Cinderella retelling. However, this was a fun and entertaining light read. There were some fun steampunk elements in here and a lot of vampire/werewolf politics. The romance was well done if fairly predictable.

Characters (4/5): The characters were fun and well done and have good chemistry together. Emme is a werewolf rights activist who is a rising star in the werewolf organization and gaining enemies along with her popularity. Oliver is a detective who has arrested Emme for causing trouble with her protests in the past and has now been assigned to protect her during a political trip. Of course, sparks fly between them. We also have a number of cameos from characters from the previous books in this series.

Setting (4/5): I continue to enjoy the steampunk London setting, the world isn’t really fully built out, but it is still a fun one to visit.

Writing Style (4/5): As with previous books in this series, this book is well written and easy to read. There is an excellent mystery here, blending with some action, and some romance. I didn’t think this was a great fairy tale retelling but it was a fine story on its own.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I have no complaints. I was looking for an easy and fun steampunk romance read and that is exactly what I got.. I would also recommend Anne Renwick’s books if you enjoy this series by Allen; I like Renwick’s steampunk series just a bit more because it has a more sciency steampunk vibe to it.