Review: Steamy Steampunk Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 18, 2012
Title: ViridisAuthor: Calista TaylorRating: 5/5Summary:  Lady Phoebe Hughes, developer of the herbal Viridis and owner of a club becomes the center of attention when Lord Hawthorne is murdered after leaving her establishment.  Her beloved, Mr. Seth Elliott - a brilliant tinkerer, returns from his post in the Outlands, and that causes a stir.  Beneath a back drop of revolution, conspiracy and murder Phoebe must struggle to free her love and find her happiness again.Review:  Lady Phoebe Hughes has created an herbal elixir that is all the rage amongst London's elite.  Viridis brings an experience of euphoria, heightened senses and holds the potential to bring the consumer to orgasm with a singular kiss.  However, not all is euphoric for Lady Phoebe.  A lord is murdered after leaving her club, and as it turns out the lord had been working for the Special Services to infiltrate a movement known as the Cause.  This however, was not the most shocking detail revealed upon Lord Hawthorne's death, it was the fact that he was in possession of her secret formulation for Viridis.The tinkerer that stole her heart, Mister Seth Elliot, also returns and adds to the issues she is already facing.  Phoebe loses herself once more to Seth's affections, which adds another layer of drama and intensity to Phoebe's already hectic and chaotic life when a powerful rival for her affections accuse Seth of attempted murder.The one thing that irked me about this particular novel, was that Phoebe had a martyr complex, always having to be the one to make things right, and even willing to suffer atrocities to ensure that things came out alright and in her favor.  I do not condone the behaviors that she did, and personally I would have let the hunky Gavin MacKay handle it than submit myself to the hands of Lord Victor - and I like a little spice in my sex scenes.  However, I understand that it aided in solidifying the character's development throughout the book and further solidified her relationship with Seth (especially after it brought Gavin and Seth to a sexy Scotsman fist fight).I look forward to reading the sequel to this book, as soon as I have the money to spare for it.Recommendations:  Steampunk, Victorian Era, Romance/Erotica readers.