Review: Clockworks and Corsets

Author submission in exchange for an honest review.

Title:

Clockworks and Corsets

Author:

Regina Riley

Release Date:
March 15, 2010

Publisher: 

Lyrical Press
Word Count:
approx. 35,000

Purchase Link:  

Lyrical Press

Author's Website: 

www.thebackseatwriter.com
www.myspace.com/backseatwriter
www.facebook.com/backseatwriter

 

Description:  

Everybody's looking for something.

Captain Rose Madigan of the airship The Merry Widow is looking for a paying job for her all-female crew. Gabriella Upstairs, her newest recruit, is looking for a reason to be glad she's on board. And Madam Ruby of the Red House Bordello is looking for the secret laboratory of a missing mad scientist--and is willing to hire the airship. When they find the lab and its single occupant, Atom Loquacious, danger and passion start steaming up.

Everybody's got a secret.

Captain Rose is secretly too ethical to complete this job. Gabriella's secretly attracted to Atom. Madam Ruby's secretly hungry for power. And the secret Atom is hiding might just threaten the lives of everyone on board.

Brandi’s Review:

I have to admit, I was pretty excited about reading this book.  It is about an airship called The Merry Widow, captained by a widow named Rose.  The story is about Rose and her crew of all women including the newest member of the crew, Gabriella, along with the "cabin boy" a native by the name of Click.  The crew has been hired to search a remote island for the lab of a mad scientist who is missing.  First the crew is not willing to complete the task, as their current employer is a well known Madame Ruby of the Red House Bordello.  Yet with no work or money in the last six months, beggars can't be choosers and the crew decides to go ahead with the job.  After finally gaining access to the lab they meet Atom Loquacious, the son of the scientist.  Atom is immediately infatuated with Gabriella, just as she is with him.  While trying to return the airship, they are caught by unfriendly natives.  After a quick escape, and a spear to Atom's shoulder they make it safely aboard to start their new adventure.  Meanwhile, we learn that Madame Ruby has ulterior motives for wanting the weapon Dr. Loquacious created. With the intent on ruling the free world, Ruby uses her charms to gain the advantages she needs.

While I liked and enjoyed the book, I felt it was lacking something that I couldn't quite put my finger on.  The plot and Steampunk theme is very cleaver and inventive.  The strong women that peppered the book, yet had just enough of the less dominant characters to balance it all out were awesome.  But in my opinion, the one thing that could have made this book great would have been more details.  The back story of Rose and each of her crew members, what was it that set Madame Ruby on her path of destruction and more about Jayne's devices would have really gave the book the sizzle it was lacking .  I would have loved a more detailed description of the Merry Widow, since it was something as magnificent as a floating ship.  More detail about the clothing they all wore, because the book is named after the one item the captain requires the girls to wear.  While the sex scenes were enjoyable and sexy, a little more detail would have really brought this book up a level.  The ending left the door open in several ways for the sequel that is due out in a few weeks, one that I am eagerly anticipating. 

Brandi's Rating: