Review: Steamy!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 1, 2013
In "Steam," Jessica Fortunato introduces Charlie, a young woman harboring a deep secret--her heart isn't her own. No, I don't mean that she once gift-wrapped her heart and her innocence and gave them to an earnest young man who promised to love her forever ... only to catch him cheating with the neighborhood skank a week later. I'm talking about a machine stuffed into the middle of her chest, replacing her original, albeit faulty, organ.Charlie is none too happy about the organ--because it plays out of tune? No ... not that kind of organ--for a variety of reasons: she never wanted it; it broke up her parents' marriage; it led to her father's untimely death, it factored into her doctor's untimely death (leaving her as the owner of boxes upon boxes of the doctor's medical notes. Thank heavens she doesn't rent in NYC.); and the damned thing is faulty.How faulty, you ask? Well, it's so faulty that Charlie has to control her emotions or she overheats and passes out. A female? Emotions? I'm not even going there. But I will say that it puts a real damper on Charlie's love life. Heck, the very act of letting off a little steam is enough to fry the poor lass's circuits.But, fear not. Just when it seems that Charlie's down to her last few heartbeats, she meets Viktor, an engineer/doctor who's convinced he can help her.Fortunato creates a frazzled--yet loveable--character in Charlie and matches her with a nerdy wunderkind that you can't help but root for. Sprinkled throughout are Fortunato's trademarks of witty banter/dialogue and world-weary observations of human nature. It's a compelling story with strong characters and stronger messages about love. Will Charlie's experience end in a HEA? I don't have the heart to say ... but I highly recommend "Steam" to romance, sci-fi, and steampunk fans.