Reviews

The Lady in the Coppergate Tower by Nancy Campbell Allen

beccas_bibliophilia's review against another edition

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3.0

Rapunzel with some spooky twists! Another fun and enjoyable Steampunk romance. It was fun to see some reoccuring characters like Sam and Hazel finally take a step in the limelight.

aworldshapedbybooks's review against another edition

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3.0

There was so much going on in this novel and I was losing track of it all. I didn't go into it knowing that this was the third book in the series, if I had I might have read the others considering all of the different characters that were introduced. That being said, it can still be read as a standalone. It follows Hazel and Sam, a doctor and his assistant, as she discovers unknown things about her heritage and subsequent abilities.

It was set in the 1800s but a steampunk version, there were also magical powers and vampires and shapeshifters, mythology, and the fairy-tale twist. Every time I thought that I had gotten used to something BAM they add Vlad the Impaler or some other crazy element. I think that despite all of this, a lot of the central parts of the book were rather mundane. How can something be so crazy yet so simple?

That being said thought the romance was amazing. There's just something terrific about a male protagonist who sets out to save the female only to realize that she's strong enough to do it by herself. That being said, he still rushes head first into danger but not out of a need to dominate but just because he loves her and wants to. I know that this sets the bar rather low but I honestly live for it.

It's confusing at points with all the conflicting elements but honestly worth a read just for this romance. I didn't even know it was a Rapunzel rewrite until the end, maybe if I had I would have recognized and appreciated the parallels a little more. Overall though, super unique and pretty fun.


This review and all my others can be found at: https://aworldshapedbybooks.blogspot.com/

mmontoya's review

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

jessicabeckett's review against another edition

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3.0

(3.5 stars) Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Review also found here in participation of the blog tour.

As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for participating in the blog tour/my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.

Retellings can always be a bit of a mixed bag. Especially retellings that bend genres. I think that my personal favourites, when it comes to re imaginings, are the ones that full on embrace new tropes or genre types. Which is why The Lady in the Coppergate Tower was so intriguing to me--described as part dystopian, part Steampunk--from the start. This proper romance felt like the right fit, due to its uniqueness.

The good news is, it definitely lived up to my expectations of it. The Lady in the Coppergate Tower is lush and unlike any of the retellings I've read in 2019 thus far. Deeply imaginative, high paced and utterly captivating, I was unable to put this book down. Nancy Campbell Allen pens a classic romance that will surely leave its audience on the edge of their seat and with a lasting fondness.

Mixed with a mesmerizing amount of worldbuilding, mythology and familiar steampunk elements, The Lady in the Coppergate Tower is a dazzling and romantic romp of its own caliber. Pages into it, readers will be able to visualize everything in Nancy Campbell Allen's vivid prose. This novel is certainly for the romantic at heart.

If you love love, if you love fantasy, if you love fairy-tales, The Lady in the Coppergate Tower will be engrossing as can be for you. Although there were some things in it that I wasn't keen on (nothing worth noting in the review, because my feelings towards it are positive) during the novel, it proved to be entertaining and I genuinely had a good time reading it.

Up until The Lady in the Coppergate Tower, I'd not familiarized myself with the series it originates from. It can be, after-all, read as a standalone. Although now, I certainly have it on my TBR and will gladly be picking up more novels by the author in the future.

sevenacrebooks's review against another edition

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3.0

The Lady in the Coppergate Tower will be the perfect book for lovers of all things steampunk! With a magical mystery, enigmatic dreams, and will-they-or-won't-they romance, this story will take you on a steam filled adventure.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions are my own.

rybass08's review

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

cakt1991's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5 stars. Review posted here: https://courtneyreadsromancesite.wordpress.com/2019/07/23/review-of-the-lady-in-the-coppergate-tower-steampunk-proper-romance-3-by-nancy-campbell-allen/

quirkybibliophile's review against another edition

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4.0

I love the way that the author describes every scene and every item that you encounter, it made me feel like I was in the story. I loved the way the automatons interacted with the people and especially loved Eugene's sarcasm and wit. It really added some light humor to a rather dire situation for our characters.

Something else I liked was the mystery aspect to this story, it was much more than just a romance between the main characters. They were working together to try and figure out Petrescu's motives and along the way establishing that they were more than just business partners. I loved how the book had moments that it quickly picked up the pace before going smoothly back into the regular pace. The action scenes had me intrigued the whole time and I was worried for all of the characters.

Overall this book was a quick read with twists and turns and a great steampunk retelling of repunzal. I recommend this to you who love a great YA romance book or who like retellings of stories.

annarella's review

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5.0

It's been quite a long time since last I read such an interesting steampunk novel and it's my first steampunk romance.
I'm more than happy I got this ARC because it was highly entertaining and engrossing.
I loved the world building, the cast of characters and the plot kept me hooked.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

jbenando's review

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4.0

A sweet friends to lovers romance with suspense thrown all around. My stomach was in knots as I tried to figure out what was happening. Definitely a wild ride. As Hazel and Sam try to discover the real reason they’re on this journey, it was fun to watch as they realize that their feelings for each other are way stronger than just friends. It was sweet.

I’m happy to say that the steampunk aspect didn’t distract me like it usually does. I was able to focus on the story and not the movable parts.

I enjoy that these stories are interconnected standalones. When past characters pop in, I don’t feel like I’m missing anything, since I don’t remember their stories. I am curious about a few characters and hope they get stories as well.

I received an arc and this is my honest review.