A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Miss Clara Marie Stanton's family may be eccentric, but they certainly aren't insane.

 London, England, 1860

When Clara's ex-fiancé begins to spread rumors that her family suffers from hereditary insanity, it's all she can do to protect them from his desperate schemes, society's prejudice, and a lifetime in an asylum. Then Clara's Grandfather Drosselmeyer brings on an apprentice with a mechanical leg, and all pretense of normalcy takes wing.

 Theodore Kingsley, a shame-chased vagabond haunted by the war, wants a fresh start far from Kingsley Court and the disappointed father who declared him dead. Upon returning to England, Theodore meets clockmaker Drosselmeyer, who hires him as an apprentice, much to Clara's dismay. When Drosselmeyer spontaneously disappears in his secret flying owl machine, he leaves behind a note for Clara, beseeching her to make her dreams of adventure a reality by joining him on a merry scavenger hunt across Europe. Together, Clara and Theodore set off to follow Drosselmeyer's trail of clues, but they will have to stay one step ahead of a villain who wants the flying machine for himself--at any cost.

MY REVIEW

This Victorian book was wonderful. It was full of fun and adventure. It had a little romance and a little mystery. It was a little steampunk with automatons.

Clara is a part of a wealthy family and she is trying to hold that family together after the death of her grandmother. Her grandfather hires an apprentice who goes by Mr. Arthur as he has his own secrets and is trying to reinvent himself.

Grandfather fancies himself a matchmaker and sends the two, along with Clara's mother on the trip of a lifetime, It is a mystery to figure out, but also there to figure out is Clara learning to live again, Mr. Arthur learning to trust again, and both of them discovering truths about God and themselves. 

This is a Christian fiction with a strong message about trusting in God even in the darkest moments. With all the wonder of the story, the lessons about God are well done and a perfect fit within the story. It is a magical tale with a few twists and turns along the way.

I hated to put this one down for the real world around me. It was a beautifully written escape to a world of wonder and possibility within Clara's life. 

This is definitely on a list to read again. I received an early copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest review.,