Steam Me Up, Rawley (The Mint Julep & Monocle Chronicles #1)

STEAMPUNK/NEW ADULT/PARANORMAL:  Adele de la Pointe is a woman ahead of her time. She wants to carve a career as a reporter but her father believes that it is just a passing fancy and would rather see her married. It is after all, 1890 in Mobile, Alabama. Dr. Philip Rawley comes from England and is offered a partnership in a medical practice owned by Adele’s father, provided he marries her. There is also another reason why Philip has accepted the partnership, which does not sit well with Adele until sparks fly between them. When the town experiences a spate of murders similar to that to the Ripper murders in London, Adele is hell bent on solving the mystery. Philip has to protect her.

Thoroughly researched, the reader is likely to feel as though they have been thrown back in time. At times the writing felt stilted, reminiscent of literary fiction of the period. Other times, it was lyrical, fluid and almost seamless. The setting was described in such detail that it overshadowed the sexual tension growing between Adele and Philip only to be resurrected again during their intimate moments. The Ripper plot started strong but somehow fizzled in the end without any concrete resolution. Nevertheless, characterization was good and even the secondary characters did not look like mere props, but contributed to the story as a whole.

Altogether a good story, very well written, with the right amount of steam for the genre.

M.P. Ceja