Like Clockwork

In my search for a short and interesting read, I happened upon Like Clockwork on NetGalley. Of course you know that as soon as I saw the words “Steampunk” and “Romance” I was in. This is a subgenre I truly feel love for, and so I dove right in.

Now I probably should have noted at the beginning that I didn't realize the page count was so low. I'm not complaining, as I wanted a short read anyway, but that means this story has to wrap up quickly. Barbara Dee packs a punch into these 95 pages for sure. However people who are uncomfortable with inexplicably quick attractions may not be happy with the romance aspect. I, on the other hand, actually quite enjoyed the fact that there were no really messy parts. Attraction is enough for me.

At the heart of this Steampunk novel is a rather interesting story about automotons and their continued widespread use. Victoria is at the forefront of this movement, but not by choice. It was interesting to see how people so willingly accepted these humanoid lookalikes as replacements for actual humans. I don't deny what draws me to steampunk in the first place are ideas like this. Although she much build it quickly, Barbara Dee does build a nice world for the reader to be immersed in. Victorian London meets steampunk. Delicious.

Character wise, I liked Victoria and Dash equally. I enjoyed the fact that there were from two different parts of society, and yet they found so much in common. My one gripe was that in such a short book there seemed to be a lot of focus on their inner monologues. I realize it helps the reader get to know them better. However I wanted much more Victoria/Dash interaction time. Much more stolen time under the trees. That was the part of this book that really drew me in.

Honestly I rather enjoyed this read. My only gripe is that it was so short. Had it been 200 pages, I still would have read and probably enjoyed it that much more. Still, Barbara Dee has written a hidden gem that I see lovers of steampunk, and romance, thoroughly enjoying.