Review: The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl by Leigh Statham

The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl

by Leigh Statham

Genres: Young Adult, Steampunk

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Lady Marguerite lives a life most 17th century French
girls can only dream of: money, designer dresses,
suitors and a secure future. Except she suspects she may be falling for her best friend Claude, a common smithie in the family's steam forge. When Claude leaves for New France in search of a better life, Marguerite decides to follow him and test her suspicions of love. But the trip proves more harrowing than she had anticipated, revealing secrets and testing her strength as well as her heart. Love, adventure and restitution await her in Canada, but only if she can survive the voyage.

  I've only recently discovered Steampunk, and every story that I read in this genre makes me love it even more. The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl was such an adventure! This book is rich in so many things and lacking absolutely nothing.

  The characters are what really made this story for me, though. Statham does such an excellent job at portraying everyone as their own individual person with real growth. Marguerite was simply perfect. I love learning about her and connecting to her. How I wish I could read another one of her adventures! I felt such a range of emotions when it came to her, but in the end, I adored her.

  The secondary characters shined as well. There was the perfect balance with them. I was never too bogged down by their presence, but they were there enough for me to love them as well! I especially had a soft spot for Claude!

  The Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl is such a thrilling adventure. With Marguerite's growth and development, the title has a double meaning with so much promise. My only downfall with this book is the blurb. The cover is outstandingly beautiful, as is the story inside of it. I only wish the blurb were just as amazing for potential readers. But take my word for it; you want to read this book!

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.

Review: Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger

Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger

(Finishing School #3)

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Steampunk

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Class is back in session...

Sophronia continues her second year at finishing school in style--with a steel-bladed fan secreted in the folds of her ball gown, of course. Such a fashionable choice of weapon comes in handy when Sophronia, her best friend Dimity, sweet sootie Soap, and the charming Lord Felix Mersey stowaway on a train to return their classmate Sidheag to her werewolf pack in Scotland. No one suspected what--or who--they would find aboard that suspiciously empty train. Sophronia uncovers a plot that threatens to throw all of London into chaos and she must decide where her loyalties lie, once and for all.

  Okay, y'all. With the first two books in the Finishing School series, I was already sold. But Waistcoats & Weaponry absolutely just blew me away. It was so amazing. I didn't think it could get any better, but Gail Carriger has proved me wrong!

***Spoiler Warning***

  Oh my goodness. The train was such an adventure! I loved seeing everyone work together. All along I've been Team Soap, so I was so glad to see that he wound up in this book in the way that he did. Sophornia and Soap are my OTP, and the ending of this book had me on tense with tears in my eyes. I cannot believe Soap got turned! It was a crazy twist that I didn't see coming, but I loved! The dynamic will surely shift between Sophornia and Soap now, and I can't wait to see how things go from here!

  I am without a doubt addicted to these books. There is so much going for this series. The wit, the personalities, just everything! I'm already ready for book four to be in my hands. Finishing School is one of those series that you miss as soon as you finish the last page and immediately start going crazy to get the next book. I have so much love for it. I don't care what genres you usually read; branch out and read Finishing School. It's a MUST!

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.

Review: Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

(Finishing School #2)

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Steampunk

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Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for
decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six
foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?

Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy--won't Mumsy be surprised? Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers' quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship's boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a field trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot--one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

  The adventures of Sophronia and Co. continue, and I'm so glad that I got to tag along! The amount of action and information packed into Curtsies & Conspiracies was a delight! Gail Carriger delivered the perfect sequel to the first book in the series with this one. Her unrelenting wit shines through and adds another enjoyable element!

There were a few twists and turns in this book. I was wholly intrigued and sitting on the edge of my seat as Sophronia navigated the newest mysteries thrown her way. As always, Sophronia continued to develop into the one of the best heroines I've read about in years without losing an ounce of her wit, determination, and curiosity.

  For the reader who loves to be taken on an adventure packed with so many elements flawlessly woven together for an immensely immersive and fun experience, look no farther than the Finishing School series. Hook, line, and sinker, I'm sold. I adore these books and I'm forever thankful that they introduced me to all things steampunk!

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.

Review: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

(Finishing School #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Steampunk

[Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble]

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite
another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the
same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners--and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but the also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage--in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

  Etiquette & Espionage was my first foray into steampunk. It cemented my love of the genre and of Gail Carriger's writing! There were just so many cool things to discover! Airships, werewolves, mechanicals, and vampires, oh my! I still can't believe that I'd never dabbled in steampunk before.

  Sophronia is my kind of girl! She was fearless when it came to asking questions and getting answers. I admired that in her so much. In the midst of her life being turned upside down, she stayed true to herself. She makes Etiquette & Espionage such a fun read with her refreshing characteristics. All of the secondary characters were wonderful, too! I was blown away with the way that Gail Carriger wrote all of them. They were all unique individuals and I loved every single one of them. (Except Monique. She's up to no good. Guarantee it.)

  Gosh, can I just gush about how fun Etiquette & Espionage was? It was just a really good book. It was so easy to get lost in the world of Mademoiselle Geraldine's. It reminded me a lot of how it felt to get lost in the world of Harry Potter way back when. It required me to be present while reading, but it was just so fun. I know I need a new word, but that's really what this book was for me. It was an adventure!

  With just one book, Gail Carriger has converted me. I'm already crossing my fingers that Santa fills my stocking with the rest of her books. The world of Sophronia and Mademoiselle Geraldine's is a world that I loved visiting and I can't wait to visit again!

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.