Thursday, March 3, 2022

Book Beginnings + Friday 56: Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts by Nancy Campbell Allen

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and share a non-spoilery sentence or two.

This week I'm featuring Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts by Nancy Campbell Allen, the fourth book in a series of steampunk fairytale retellings.

About the Book
A steampunk retelling of Cinderella.

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?

Book Beginnings
Emmeline Castle O'Shea stood at a podium on the balcony of the Municipal Hall for Citizen Affairs and looked out with satisfaction at the murmuring crowd, feeling the energy build in the large room as she finished speaking.

Friday 56
Gus looked at Oliver with sympathy, which reinforced Emme's prior assessment of their new acquaintance. "It is easy to don blinders where family is concerned. The most crucial information for you to know at this point is Lawrence Reed and the vampire Cadre, which he leads, are determined to prevent wide-scale acceptance of shifter reform."

What have you been reading lately?

18 comments:

  1. Steampunk retelling of Cinderella...now that sounds like quite a story. Have a great weekend!

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  2. Sounds...interesting. I don't think it would be for my tastes, but I do hope you enjoy.

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    1. It was good, probably my least favorite in the series, but still enjoyable. Happy reading! :)

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  3. I finished reading this one last week...or maybe it was the week before. Anyway, I just read this one and I really liked it. Both Emme and Oliver and fun characters. :)

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    1. They are fun! I've enjoyed this whole series. I hope this wasn't the last one. I can see potential for a possible Little Mermaid retelling with Emme's step-sister. Hope you have a great weekend! :)

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  4. Looks like a great read! I love the steampunk and strong heroine vibes I'm getting from this. Hope you enjoy!

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    1. Thank you! I can't seem to get enough steampunk. It's so much fun! Happy reading! :)

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  5. I'm intrigued by steampunk, but haven't read much in that genre. This looks interesting!

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    1. It's a fun genre, probably one of my favorites. Hope you have a great weekend! :)

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  6. I have read a couple steampunk books and enjoyed them, this one sounds decent too! Happy weekend!

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    1. It's a fun one! Thanks for stopping by, Freda! Happy weekend! :)

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  7. I'm going to have to look into this one. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks for coming by, Lauren! Happy reading! :)

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  8. I actually started reading this book but somehow I just couldn't get into it. I have yet to see the Cinderella part of this story but probably because I haven't read enough.

    I still can't get over that strange scene in the carriage where Oliver Reed is sitting across Emmeline and he has his legs wide open and being that he is a giant, over 6 feet tall, you can say Emmeline, who was described to be quite small, had a strange viewpoint right there. I don't know why that scene annoys me but when you read it, it might not annoy you. I hope you enjoy reading this.

    Have a lovely day.

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    1. This was my least favorite in the series. I felt like the pacing was a little off, and I was definitely missing the Cinderella aspect in the first half. It showed up a lot later than I would've expected. But in the end, I thought it was a fun read. Not the best, but I'm glad Emme and Oliver finally got their happy ending. Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a lovely day too! :)

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