Review: Like Clockwork by Bonnie Dee

Synopsis (via Goodreads):

Victoria's work with automatons has gained her renown and changed the face of London. But her concern that the clockworks are taking too many jobs away from humans, creating social unrest, is ignored. Given the ugly mood of the underclass, she fears more outbreaks of violence similar to the murder spree of the notorious Southwark Slasher.

Dash, unemployed thanks to the clockworks, has pledged fealty to The Brotherhood, a group determined to bring about the downfall of the automatons by any means necessary. His plan to kidnap Victoria goes awry when the unorthodox scientist pledges her assistance to their cause.

Despite their opposite social classes, a bond grows between them, and Victoria begins to feel emotions she never expected for the passionate Dash. But when the Slasher strikes close to home, Dash and Victoria realize that the boundaries of polite society are far from the only threat to their happiness...

My Thoughts: I do enjoy a good steampunk novel.  I like the intricacy of a well-thought out world powered by steam and cogs.  I find the idea of mechanical men and Victorian society to be fascinating and fun.

I liked this book quite a lot.  I do wish the mystery of the Slasher had been played up a bit more.  We're put into the Slasher's mind in the first scene and then we're not put back into it until the big reveal.  Even then, we're not put into it so much as given the reveal.  I really liked the relationship between Dash and Victoria.  It unfolded quickly but there was something that I really liked about it.  It doesn't go much beyond stolen kisses and secret caresses until the end, but that ending was very, very satisfying.  *wink*

Overall, I liked the book.  I liked that the mechanical advances were hurting the common folk of London.  That's something that you don't see all that often in steampunk.  I liked that Dash grew up on the mean streets and wasn't a gentleman.  Victoria wasn't afraid to follow her heart.  She flouted convention to become a scientist.  She threw what Society expected of her out the window to pursue Dash.  It was... cool.

And the ending was pretty sexy.  :)

More books by Bonnie Dee

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