Helpful Score: 8
I read the first book in the Aisling Grey series from Katie MacAlister and loved it. So when I went to the store and saw this one I took a chance. I didnt like it. I just kept wishing I could hurry up and finish reading this book. There is alot of background and some of the stuff I didnt understand. I was dissapointed in the book. I guess there maybe more to the series because some of the questions were not answered. Like How are they going to get home?
Helpful Score: 5
The book was kinda funny but the ending really fell flat. I love Katie as an author and was very surprised that this book was very disappointing.
Helpful Score: 3
First off, I love love love the cover of this book, it is absolutely gorgeous...get a copy to look at in your hands, the pictures do it no justice. It's beautiful. This is the second book in the 'steampunk' genre I have read, the other being 'Soulless'. This book was a completely different experience, it is set in present times in an alternate world as opposed to the past in the same world.
The main characters Octavia and Jack are HILARIOUS, I kept cracking up at the most inappropriate moments, the book makes a scene feel serious, but not serious at all, in a whole new way, and just wait until you read one the sensual scenes, I laughed my way almost through the whole thing.
The plot is sturdy and strong, except for the thing with Hallie, she just gets arrested, I wish that could have gotten a bit more explanation, but everything else was pretty good. Flowed well, no lulls, and kept a decent pace. I do wish we could have gotten to know some of the crew better but I have a feeling this is the first in a series for Ms. MacAlister.
'Steamed' was an adventure to read, one I will gladly go on again and again.
The main characters Octavia and Jack are HILARIOUS, I kept cracking up at the most inappropriate moments, the book makes a scene feel serious, but not serious at all, in a whole new way, and just wait until you read one the sensual scenes, I laughed my way almost through the whole thing.
The plot is sturdy and strong, except for the thing with Hallie, she just gets arrested, I wish that could have gotten a bit more explanation, but everything else was pretty good. Flowed well, no lulls, and kept a decent pace. I do wish we could have gotten to know some of the crew better but I have a feeling this is the first in a series for Ms. MacAlister.
'Steamed' was an adventure to read, one I will gladly go on again and again.
As always Katie's books capture my attention from page one and keep me turning pages til the last. Steamed is a little different than what you think it will be, but the adventure keeps you riveted to the book. Loaded with action, secrets and passion. A must read for any Katie MacAlister fan!!
Helpful Score: 3
I originally bought this book because I was getting into reading Steampunk, had just finished MacAlister's Aisling Grey series and found it amusing, and was looking for a light fun read. This book overall was a disappointment. I finished it because I was sitting on a plane for three hours and had nothing else to read. It started out kind of amusing but the plot got so convoluted and then wrapped up in such a contrived way I just had to roll my eyes.
Jack Fletcher and his sister Hallie are zapped into an alternate reality when a lab experiment goes wrong. They find themselves on the airship of Captain Octavia Pye. Sparks fly between Jack and Octavia, but Octavia is wrapped up in a number of political schemes that entangle her whole crew in a fight for their lives.
The book started out kind of amusing. Jack is a geek with a rep for being a ladies man and Octavia appears to be a straight-laced women commander who doesn't take Jacks advances at all kindly. Of course this book being what it is, that eventually changes and Jack and Octavia couldn't get enough of each other.
The world is loosely steampunk. That is to say there are some automatons, a Europe and Asia still stuck in war, lots of airships and a Victorian feel to it all. Given that the world felt a bit incomplete. There was a lot of political stuff going on in this book but most of it seemed contrived and all of it was tied to men that Octavia had slept with. This really wasn't in keeping with Octavia's supposed stuffiness. Most of the plot seemed loosely thrown together in a way that enabled Jack and Octavia to have more sex.
Jack was obnoxious as a character and I wasn't at all intrigued by him. His sister Hallie was a doorstop more than anything else, oh and she was a bit of a plot device since she got lost and had to be tracked down. I am really not at all sure why she was even in the book.
The potential for Jack and Octavia to have a steaming hot relationship was there, but puttered out pretty quick. Octavia gives into Jack quickly and from there out they were pretty uninspiring. There wasn't a lot to keep the characters apart and, given that this book focused mainly on their relationship, it made things pretty boring for the remainder of the story. There was so much potential here for a steamy romance set in a steampunk Victoria era and it just wasn't realized. I felt like MacAlister wrote this over a weekend for fun and didn't bother really making her characters, plot, or world all that filled out.
Given all of the above, the story was slightly amusing. I was stuck on a plane and didn't have much else to do so I finished it; although I have to admit I had trouble getting through the last third of the book even though I had absolutely nothing else to do....
Overall my recommendation would be to skip this book. If you want to read something by MacAlister pick up her Aisling Grey Guardian series, it is much much better than this book. Keep in mind that MacAlister writes light fluffly, funny, paranormal romance. If you want to read a steampunk paranormal romance that is awesome pick up The Iron Duke by Meljean Brooke; The Iron Duke has an actual plot, awesome characters, and an absolutely fantastic world. If you feel like you still absolutely need to read this book do yourself a favor and get it from the library.
Jack Fletcher and his sister Hallie are zapped into an alternate reality when a lab experiment goes wrong. They find themselves on the airship of Captain Octavia Pye. Sparks fly between Jack and Octavia, but Octavia is wrapped up in a number of political schemes that entangle her whole crew in a fight for their lives.
The book started out kind of amusing. Jack is a geek with a rep for being a ladies man and Octavia appears to be a straight-laced women commander who doesn't take Jacks advances at all kindly. Of course this book being what it is, that eventually changes and Jack and Octavia couldn't get enough of each other.
The world is loosely steampunk. That is to say there are some automatons, a Europe and Asia still stuck in war, lots of airships and a Victorian feel to it all. Given that the world felt a bit incomplete. There was a lot of political stuff going on in this book but most of it seemed contrived and all of it was tied to men that Octavia had slept with. This really wasn't in keeping with Octavia's supposed stuffiness. Most of the plot seemed loosely thrown together in a way that enabled Jack and Octavia to have more sex.
Jack was obnoxious as a character and I wasn't at all intrigued by him. His sister Hallie was a doorstop more than anything else, oh and she was a bit of a plot device since she got lost and had to be tracked down. I am really not at all sure why she was even in the book.
The potential for Jack and Octavia to have a steaming hot relationship was there, but puttered out pretty quick. Octavia gives into Jack quickly and from there out they were pretty uninspiring. There wasn't a lot to keep the characters apart and, given that this book focused mainly on their relationship, it made things pretty boring for the remainder of the story. There was so much potential here for a steamy romance set in a steampunk Victoria era and it just wasn't realized. I felt like MacAlister wrote this over a weekend for fun and didn't bother really making her characters, plot, or world all that filled out.
Given all of the above, the story was slightly amusing. I was stuck on a plane and didn't have much else to do so I finished it; although I have to admit I had trouble getting through the last third of the book even though I had absolutely nothing else to do....
Overall my recommendation would be to skip this book. If you want to read something by MacAlister pick up her Aisling Grey Guardian series, it is much much better than this book. Keep in mind that MacAlister writes light fluffly, funny, paranormal romance. If you want to read a steampunk paranormal romance that is awesome pick up The Iron Duke by Meljean Brooke; The Iron Duke has an actual plot, awesome characters, and an absolutely fantastic world. If you feel like you still absolutely need to read this book do yourself a favor and get it from the library.
I really liked the authors other series, and steampunk is super hot right now, so I thought I would give it a shot. I'll admit, I was pretty disappointed and the book was fairly bad. I don't think that I really even gave it my full attention; I just skimmed it. I would not purchase a follow up to this book, however, I would still take a look at any new books in her Aisling Grey series.
Helpful Score: 2
I was a bit disappointed in this book - using the same model as in "Blow Me Down", the author had someone from our universe magically transported into an alternate reality. I was hoping for something with a little more punch to it.
Helpful Score: 2
It was ok. Just ok. The plot was typical of Katie McAlister and the main characters were likable enough. Parts of it dragged and I found myself skimming through sections. I even considered not finishing it but I wanted to see if I was right about Octavia's Deep Dark Secret (I was). I found it amusing that the entire book pokes fun at the current steampunk craze when I actually thought it would be quite the opposite.
Helpful Score: 1
Not my favorite Katie MacAlister book. I enjoy steampunk; however, the book seems to miss the mark. The steampunk ideas and characters don't seem to be developed like her other books. If this is your first Katie Mac book and you don't care for it, try another. Her vampire or dragon series are GREAT!
Helpful Score: 1
I generally love Katie MacAlisters books. I loved the premise of this book, the characters , and the romance. However, I didnt love this book. I thoroughly did not enjoy it at all. And I was forewarned but it was in my TBR pile and I picked it up and tried it anyway. I didnt like how it was told from first person POV, first from Jack and then from Octavia. I was constantly going back to the chapters beginning to figure out who was speaking. Very jarring. I never for a minute got lost in the story and forgot I was reading a book, which for me is the whole pleasure of reading. The secondary characters were just blah. True this was the first Steam-punk Id read but I was really looking forward to this new genre. It didnt completely turn me against this genre but definitely has me backing away from it.
I have read other books by Katie MacAlister, and this was truly a disappointment. After having read the Aisling Grey books, this was truly not what I expected. The romance itself is fine, although the whole "steampunk" element is very foreign to me, and did not add to the storyline in the least. I do not know what Katie MacAlister was thinking writing this book. Maybe she was trying to find and harness the "next big thing" in romance writing. However, my advice to her would be to stick with the paranormal stuff she does so well. Unless you like the steampunk genre, I'd skip this one altogether.
This is a romance with a steampunk theme. Jack Fletcher and his Sister Hallelujah or Hallie are arguing in a lab and theres an explosion and some how theyre thrown into another reality where its exactly the same time, but steampunked. They land on an air ship and of course the captain is a very attractive woman by the name of Octavia Pye. She has more than a few secrets up her sleeve. It all makes for a very cute and fun romance.
As much as I love Katie MacAlister, Steamed started off really slow for me. I could not get into the book. I even put it down for a few months before picking it up again to finish it. Nevertheless, once I got into this story, it was wonderful.
The main character, Jack, ends up in steampunk world with his sister after one of his experiments goes awry. There, he meets Captain Octavia Pye and ends up falling in love with her. Along the way, his sister gets kidnapped. MacAlister has a way of making such a dire situation such as kidnapping funny, quirky and entertaining along the way.
If you like steampunk romance or pirate stories, you will love this book. It is full of action, adventure, romance, and some sexy scenes. The characters are witty and hilarious. I would recommend this book for ages over 16 because of the sex scenes. If you like that sort of thing, you love those scenes because they are HOT!
The main character, Jack, ends up in steampunk world with his sister after one of his experiments goes awry. There, he meets Captain Octavia Pye and ends up falling in love with her. Along the way, his sister gets kidnapped. MacAlister has a way of making such a dire situation such as kidnapping funny, quirky and entertaining along the way.
If you like steampunk romance or pirate stories, you will love this book. It is full of action, adventure, romance, and some sexy scenes. The characters are witty and hilarious. I would recommend this book for ages over 16 because of the sex scenes. If you like that sort of thing, you love those scenes because they are HOT!
This is absolutely the best alternate universe / steampunk / romance / pirate story I've ever read. It's also the ONLY alternate universe / steampunk / romance / pirate story I've ever read and, with any luck, will the the last.
It's all terribly silly, with great chunks of action off-page and summed up in a sentence. One chapter ends with our protagonists locked up and facing certain execution, and the next begins with them running down an alley and telling each other how lucky it was that XXX happened so that they could escape. They also have a tendency to leap upon each other's bones any time they have five minutes to spare, despite the press of events (like needing to escape from the bad guys or rescue someone).
The only saving grace of this book is that it doesn't take itself at all seriously. The sex scenes are uniformly PG-rated, the steampunk technology is kept firmly in the background, and the characters -- if highly unbelievable -- are at least amusing.
It's all terribly silly, with great chunks of action off-page and summed up in a sentence. One chapter ends with our protagonists locked up and facing certain execution, and the next begins with them running down an alley and telling each other how lucky it was that XXX happened so that they could escape. They also have a tendency to leap upon each other's bones any time they have five minutes to spare, despite the press of events (like needing to escape from the bad guys or rescue someone).
The only saving grace of this book is that it doesn't take itself at all seriously. The sex scenes are uniformly PG-rated, the steampunk technology is kept firmly in the background, and the characters -- if highly unbelievable -- are at least amusing.
This book was so horrible, I felt like it was a story about a man whose dumb sister "killed" him and now we were in his comatose dream world, from which he never wakes up.
If I could have given this book ZERO stars, I would have.
I was robbed when I bought this - please avoid!
If I could have given this book ZERO stars, I would have.
I was robbed when I bought this - please avoid!
