Two things that I should probably start my review with in the interest of full disclosure: First, I'm a total Kristen Painter fangirl, and second, that I received this ARC at no cost to me from the author herself. Now that that's out of the way, I get to gush about the story ;)
Pandora Bramble is a bit of a wallflower. With her "average" looks (in her mind, at least)and above-average intelligence (and skill with mechanics), coupled with the fact that her best friend is an über-gorgeous flirt with a sizable dowry to match, she always finds herself being ignored by the men she encounters. This suits her just fine, however, because while she has no true desire to die a spinster working in her father's shop, she feels as though she'd have to give up everything that matters to her in order to make a "suitable" match.
Pandora's father is a brilliant inventor whose prize design was stolen years ago by the Company. Her mother ran off when she was young to be the mistress to a rich merchant, leaving Pandora and her father to fend for themselves, and in the end, all this translates to Pandora taking care of her alcoholic, debt-ridden gambler of a father and running his shop almost entirely on her own. It also deeply affects Pandora's feelings of self-worth and her view of herself.
Captain Theolonius Hatch is a Company man through and through, who is tired of vapid women who are mainly attracted to his uniform. He finds Pandora's intelligence incredibly refreshing, even if he does tend to underestimate her in the beginning because of her gender, and sees beyond the plain dresses and no-nonsense manner to see the captivating, intelligent woman that she is.
What worked for me:
* Y'all all know I'm a sucker for an intelligent heroine :) Pandora is more at home in an engine room than a ballroom, and is often under-appreciated and underestimated simply because she is a woman.
* The angst is lovely, since Pandora's on a "secret mission" of sorts, and yet finds herself falling for the very man she knows she must betray to save her family.
* I also thoroughly enjoyed how despite her low self-esteem, our handsome Captain Hatch feels he is not good enough for her and is insecure as to how to secure her affections without scaring her off :D
* I liked the chemistry between the H/h and even though the sensuality level was relatively low compared to a lot of romance novels (and the only real "love scene" being fade-to-black), their romance and the rapid progression of their relationship felt real.
What didn't work for me:
* I admit, this seemed more of a straightforward historical/regency romance than a steampunk. The Leviathan could've easily been a regular sea ship rather than an airship, and the marquees and sentinels and gadgetry in Pandora's shop seemed more set dressing than a part of deeper world-building. Kristen Painter is a master at world-building (as evidenced in [b:Heart Of Fire|8453218|Heart Of Fire|Kristen Painter|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KjcSHj%2BkL._SL75_.jpg|13299949]), so don't for a second think that this is due to anything more than the constraints set by the length of the story -- in a novella there simply isn't time to dwell on all the minute details that make up any sort of fantasy world, be it steampunk or the realm of the fae. Unfortunately, I think this might turn off some fans who pick this up solely for the steampunk aspect, as I almost feel as though we were barely dipping our toes into the world around them, and a lot of the steampunk aspects ended up as mainly garnish rather than an intricate part of the plot.
* Again due to the length, the romance aspect seemed a tiny bit rushed. This is a really minor point for me, because I personally adore "Love At First Sight" stories (especially when there's a twist of fate that comes between the lovers, such as the Company's theft of Mr. Bramble's valve and Pandora's subsequent mission to prove their theft and restore her family's wealth). I only mention it because I know some readers can be put off by a true whirlwind courtship (though, honestly, how many novellas do you read where they're not at least a tiny bit of a whirlwind lol Nature of the beast I think).
Overall, I was quite pleased with this story. It was angsty enough to be entertaining without being depressing, and watching Pandora flourish under Theo's attentions was quite enjoyable :)
Kristen Painter is hands down one of my favorite indie authors, and really folks, when even a Big Mac runs around $3 these days, you should skip the fast food and buy yourself several hours of enjoyment in this sweet romance instead (and save yourself some indigestion to boot lol)
4 Stars :)
