ingypingy2000's review against another edition
5.0
Sweet and Hot at the same time
I love steampunk anyway, but this was just too fun. I sweet romance with some wickedly naughty erotica fun that is not for the feint of heart as far as f/f and male toy fun. Overall, a really cute read
I love steampunk anyway, but this was just too fun. I sweet romance with some wickedly naughty erotica fun that is not for the feint of heart as far as f/f and male toy fun. Overall, a really cute read
witandsin's review
4.0
Reviewed for Wit and Sin
Combustion is a sexy and sex-positive romance that’s a whole lot of fun to read. Astrid Bailey is a bit prickly and she has reason to be. She’s known loss, grief, and has been dismissed as an inventor and businessperson because she’s a woman, not wealthy, and her devices are geared toward female clients. Astrid is a gifted inventor who dreams of owning her own shop to sell her “felicitation devices” and I wanted to see her achieve that dream. Her best shot at doing so is winning the cash prize at the World’s Fair, but to even enter she needs the backing a reputable businessman. Enter Eli Rutledge.
Eli is a watchmaker who inherited a successful business. He has the money and connections Astrid both needs and resents. He also is short of an idea of his own to present at the World’s Fair so he and Astrid teaming up is the perfect plan. Her idea is scandalous beyond measure, but the two of them go for it anyway. Eli’s edges are softer than Astrid’s and the two of them complement one another perfectly. I like that Eli isn’t dismissive of Astrid’s inventions or pleasure and it made the sparks that flew between the two of them seriously hot.
Attraction is easy, but falling in love is a lot more complicated. Both Astrid and Eli have walls up because of past wounds. Eli thinks he’s too boring for someone like Astrid and she thinks he would never want to be with someone of a different class. Miscommunication and misunderstandings threaten to derail the romance but they’re logical obstacles. I was rooting for Astrid and Eli every step of the way.
Elia Winters knows how to deliver seriously hot romances and Combustion is no exception. Astrid and Eli are not shy about testing out her inventions or asking for what they want in the bedroom (or the workroom or…). All in all, Combustion is a fast-paced, red-hot jaunt through alternate-history London. The steampunk elements are fun, the characters perfectly imperfect, and the ending made me smile.
Note: Combustion was first published in 2015 and has been revised for this edition.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Combustion is a sexy and sex-positive romance that’s a whole lot of fun to read. Astrid Bailey is a bit prickly and she has reason to be. She’s known loss, grief, and has been dismissed as an inventor and businessperson because she’s a woman, not wealthy, and her devices are geared toward female clients. Astrid is a gifted inventor who dreams of owning her own shop to sell her “felicitation devices” and I wanted to see her achieve that dream. Her best shot at doing so is winning the cash prize at the World’s Fair, but to even enter she needs the backing a reputable businessman. Enter Eli Rutledge.
Eli is a watchmaker who inherited a successful business. He has the money and connections Astrid both needs and resents. He also is short of an idea of his own to present at the World’s Fair so he and Astrid teaming up is the perfect plan. Her idea is scandalous beyond measure, but the two of them go for it anyway. Eli’s edges are softer than Astrid’s and the two of them complement one another perfectly. I like that Eli isn’t dismissive of Astrid’s inventions or pleasure and it made the sparks that flew between the two of them seriously hot.
Attraction is easy, but falling in love is a lot more complicated. Both Astrid and Eli have walls up because of past wounds. Eli thinks he’s too boring for someone like Astrid and she thinks he would never want to be with someone of a different class. Miscommunication and misunderstandings threaten to derail the romance but they’re logical obstacles. I was rooting for Astrid and Eli every step of the way.
Elia Winters knows how to deliver seriously hot romances and Combustion is no exception. Astrid and Eli are not shy about testing out her inventions or asking for what they want in the bedroom (or the workroom or…). All in all, Combustion is a fast-paced, red-hot jaunt through alternate-history London. The steampunk elements are fun, the characters perfectly imperfect, and the ending made me smile.
Note: Combustion was first published in 2015 and has been revised for this edition.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
loveinpanels's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jessitheblonde's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
bookishgirlshq's review
5.0
Good times
This was a fun read. It flowed nicely with an actual story line. Though it would have been nice to have an epilogue just to tie everything up like did Astrid get her shop etc.
I love the fun personality of Astrid and that she still has some vulnerability.
Eli’s characters as fun to discover and that he wasn’t a complete lot stuffy boring man!
This was a fun read. It flowed nicely with an actual story line. Though it would have been nice to have an epilogue just to tie everything up like did Astrid get her shop etc.
I love the fun personality of Astrid and that she still has some vulnerability.
Eli’s characters as fun to discover and that he wasn’t a complete lot stuffy boring man!
deannasworld's review
2.0
I almost didn't finish this book. In fact, I picked it up and put it down so many times, it took me over a week to finish it. That's a crazy long time for such a short book. Morbid curiosity kept me going.
Why did I almost didn't finish the book? I hated the heroine. Thoroughly, thoroughly disliked her. I didn't find one redeeming quality in her at all. Astrid was supposedly a modern day, independent business woman who was strong and sassy, instead she came across as rude, obnoxious, bitchy and with a serious chip on her shoulder. She came from a poor, working class background and because of her background she made assumptions about others (namely Eli) based on the things she knew about them on the surface. Why did I almost didn't finish the book? I hated the heroine. Thoroughly, thoroughly disliked her. I didn't find one redeeming quality in her at all. Astrid was supposedly a modern day, independent business woman who was strong and sassy, instead she came across as rude, obnoxious, bitchy and with a serious chip on her shoulder. She came from a poor, working class background and because of her background she made assumptions about others (namely Eli) based on the things she knew about them on the surface. She wanted people to give her a chance and not jump to conclusions about her, but she didn't offer others the same courtesy. That seems like a huge double standard to me.
Here are a few examples (don't worry, I'm not giving away the story!)
“You have nothing in common with us. You inherited a successful business from your father, who was already a prominent businessman, and your greatest achievement is to not yet have run it into the ground. Other people have given you everything you’ve ever needed. As a man, you can get a position on the Chamber of Commerce or the Fair Board or the IFCT or the London Business Council or whatever, and know that when you talk, people will listen. And I’m very happy that you have the money to own a shop and rent a booth at the World’s Fair, but to assume that everyone else is in the same position as you demonstrates how completely clueless you are about the plight of women business owners in this city. So no, you haven’t said anything to offend me. Everything about you offends me.”
As she left, Eli watched her go with numb shock. Her words had been incredibly rude, and he couldn’t help but feel stung.
Her smile irked him. “It’s kind of hard not to. You have no idea how much this should make me happy.”
“Why should my unhappiness make you happy?”
“Because I hate you!” She threw her hands up in the air with the exclamation, although her tone was one of much more exasperation than hate. “You’re rich and successful, and you have a shop, and I have to get by on these little commissioned jobs that, quite frankly, pay like shit.”
Eli, bless him, is a stodgy businessman with a reputation to protect and while he's not the most interesting of heroes, I give him points for putting up with Astrid's crap and terrible attitude. Plus, he knows how to please a woman properly and thoroughly. We all need a man like that in our lives. :-p
So morbid curiosity made me finish the book because I wanted to know how their invention would be received at the World's Fair and how Ms Winters would resolve a relationship with so much hostility and angry sex (Eli did good!). I was also not overly excited about the fact that Astrid had sex with someone other than Eli during the course of the book. That somehow added a bit of an ick factor to the story for me. When I read an erotic romance, I expect the sex to only be between the protagonists.
The book itself was not poorly written and the sex scenes were well done, but if Ms Winters' heroines are anything like Astrid in her other books, I will not be picking them up to read anytime soon.
Why did I almost didn't finish the book? I hated the heroine. Thoroughly, thoroughly disliked her. I didn't find one redeeming quality in her at all. Astrid was supposedly a modern day, independent business woman who was strong and sassy, instead she came across as rude, obnoxious, bitchy and with a serious chip on her shoulder. She came from a poor, working class background and because of her background she made assumptions about others (namely Eli) based on the things she knew about them on the surface. Why did I almost didn't finish the book? I hated the heroine. Thoroughly, thoroughly disliked her. I didn't find one redeeming quality in her at all. Astrid was supposedly a modern day, independent business woman who was strong and sassy, instead she came across as rude, obnoxious, bitchy and with a serious chip on her shoulder. She came from a poor, working class background and because of her background she made assumptions about others (namely Eli) based on the things she knew about them on the surface. She wanted people to give her a chance and not jump to conclusions about her, but she didn't offer others the same courtesy. That seems like a huge double standard to me.
Here are a few examples (don't worry, I'm not giving away the story!)
“You have nothing in common with us. You inherited a successful business from your father, who was already a prominent businessman, and your greatest achievement is to not yet have run it into the ground. Other people have given you everything you’ve ever needed. As a man, you can get a position on the Chamber of Commerce or the Fair Board or the IFCT or the London Business Council or whatever, and know that when you talk, people will listen. And I’m very happy that you have the money to own a shop and rent a booth at the World’s Fair, but to assume that everyone else is in the same position as you demonstrates how completely clueless you are about the plight of women business owners in this city. So no, you haven’t said anything to offend me. Everything about you offends me.”
As she left, Eli watched her go with numb shock. Her words had been incredibly rude, and he couldn’t help but feel stung.
Her smile irked him. “It’s kind of hard not to. You have no idea how much this should make me happy.”
“Why should my unhappiness make you happy?”
“Because I hate you!” She threw her hands up in the air with the exclamation, although her tone was one of much more exasperation than hate. “You’re rich and successful, and you have a shop, and I have to get by on these little commissioned jobs that, quite frankly, pay like shit.”
Eli, bless him, is a stodgy businessman with a reputation to protect and while he's not the most interesting of heroes, I give him points for putting up with Astrid's crap and terrible attitude. Plus, he knows how to please a woman properly and thoroughly. We all need a man like that in our lives. :-p
So morbid curiosity made me finish the book because I wanted to know how their invention would be received at the World's Fair and how Ms Winters would resolve a relationship with so much hostility and angry sex (Eli did good!). I was also not overly excited about the fact that Astrid had sex with someone other than Eli during the course of the book. That somehow added a bit of an ick factor to the story for me. When I read an erotic romance, I expect the sex to only be between the protagonists.
The book itself was not poorly written and the sex scenes were well done, but if Ms Winters' heroines are anything like Astrid in her other books, I will not be picking them up to read anytime soon.
crystalisreading's review
2.0
A coworker and I were discussing the wide iteration of erotic romance, and how for every subgenre of writing, there seems to be an erotic version. I jokingly mentioned steampunk, and she googled it, and confirmed--there was steampunk erotic romance. I was curious, although in no hurry to find any. So when I read Purely Professional by Elia Winters, and really enjoyed it, and then I saw that she had a steampunk erotic romance as well, well, it seemed perfect.
Sadly, it wasn't perfect. Combustion does, however, answer another literary question of mine--would I enjoy regency romance more if it dropped its pretentions of historical fiction? The answer is NO. I guess the whole allure of the genre is the cognitive dissonance of being set in a restrictive time but just doing whatever the heck you want anyway, and sassing off the oppressors who try to stop you, and shaming those that don't understand you, and having a HEA. As someone who grew up in a repressive conservative religious culture, I can tell you that it doesn't work that way. So for me, there's no possible suspension of disbelief in these types of settings. if you live in a grim and repressive Victorian era, you might be able to eke out an HEA on the periphery of society, with certain prices to pay for the happiness you gain. but you don't just get what you want exactly how you want it.
All of that background to say, this book was meh. if you enjoy the regency romance subgenre, enjoy sassy, out-of-their-time heroines, and repressed heroes who learn their lessons and become free, then you might enjoy this. If you find that distracting, you probably won't. The characters didn't seem awfully complex, and the misunderstanding holding them apart felt forced.
That's not to say that the idea of steampunk "felicitation devices" (vibrators) wasn't creative and kind of amusing--and hot. or that the sex scenes weren't hot. I wasn't expecting so much f/f action, or everything that the heroine leads the hero into, kink-wise, but that aspect of the story was well-done for its subgenre and quite steamy (a pun!). This book just wasn't my cup of tea (pardon another pun), and I can't really recommend it.
Sadly, it wasn't perfect. Combustion does, however, answer another literary question of mine--would I enjoy regency romance more if it dropped its pretentions of historical fiction? The answer is NO. I guess the whole allure of the genre is the cognitive dissonance of being set in a restrictive time but just doing whatever the heck you want anyway, and sassing off the oppressors who try to stop you, and shaming those that don't understand you, and having a HEA. As someone who grew up in a repressive conservative religious culture, I can tell you that it doesn't work that way. So for me, there's no possible suspension of disbelief in these types of settings. if you live in a grim and repressive Victorian era, you might be able to eke out an HEA on the periphery of society, with certain prices to pay for the happiness you gain. but you don't just get what you want exactly how you want it.
All of that background to say, this book was meh. if you enjoy the regency romance subgenre, enjoy sassy, out-of-their-time heroines, and repressed heroes who learn their lessons and become free, then you might enjoy this. If you find that distracting, you probably won't. The characters didn't seem awfully complex, and the misunderstanding holding them apart felt forced.
That's not to say that the idea of steampunk "felicitation devices" (vibrators) wasn't creative and kind of amusing--and hot. or that the sex scenes weren't hot. I wasn't expecting so much f/f action, or everything that the heroine leads the hero into, kink-wise, but that aspect of the story was well-done for its subgenre and quite steamy (a pun!). This book just wasn't my cup of tea (pardon another pun), and I can't really recommend it.
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