Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway- The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl by Leigh Statham!

Title: The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl

Author: Leigh Statham

Publication date: March 17, 2015

Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.

About the Book:

Lady Marguerite lives a life most 17th century French girls can only dream of: Money, designer dresses, suitors and a secure future. Except, she suspects her heart may be falling for her best friend Claude, a common smithie in the family’s steam forge. When Claude leaves for New France in search of a better life, Marguerite decides to follow him and test her suspicions of love. Only the trip proves to be more harrowing than she anticipated. Love, adventure and restitution await her, if she can survive the voyage.

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Review:

★★★★★

I'd give more than five stars if I could.

Wow. This is seriously one of the best books that I've read so far this year. Here's the nutshell version: Airships. Pirates. Romance. Automatons. Do I have your attention yet? Good.

First, I'd like to fangirl about the cover because I'm not going to lie to you, that's initially why I opted to read this book. Look at how absolutely stunning it is! This is one of the few examples of a book cover that I would have a framed print of on my wall. It's positively gorgeous.

And then there's the actual story itself. There's a lot of genres smooshed into this book; romance, adventure, steampunk, and alternative history to name a few. They blend together like perfectly calibrated cogs. I was sucked in from the first page and it didn't take long at all for me to devour the rest of it.

What I enjoyed most about this book is the world building. The first part of the book is set in France, at a time when automatons and airships and clockwork trinkets and technologies flourish. That said, there are still human servants and regular ocean ships- I liked that the two lived side by side in relative harmony. Everything is well detailed and well written. Whether Marguerite is in a life raft, garden, or her bedroom, it's easy to picture it and lose yourself in the scenery.

I also loved the characters. Marguerite is strong and determined. She's nobility but holds her own, and steps up to be a leader when people need her the most (even if they don't know it yet). She's a rebel but not careless, smart but not overtly standoffish. I loved watching her grow into a bad ass over the course of the book. The side characters held my attention just as much, and were easily distinguishable from one another. From Vivienne, the chatty friend, to the insufferable Captain Jacques, or the monstrous governess, I felt for all of the characters in one way or another. (Of course, some of those feelings were hate. I'm looking at you, Governess).

There were a few times where this book took me by surprise. It's very fast paced, and full of twisting, turning action and adventure. I mean this book has a runaway noblewoman, pirate attacks, forbidden love, airships, and an awesome bot sidekick. What else could you possibly want? For me, this book had it all. I really hope to read more from Statham in the future.

I'd recommend this to anyone who is a fan of young adult steampunk, girls who aren't afraid to wield guns and wear pants in an age of dresses, adventure, and a dash of romance. Thanks so much to Month9Books for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

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About the Author:

Leigh Statham was raised in the wilds of rural Idaho, but found her heart in New York City. She worked as a waitress, maid, artist, math teacher, nurse, web designer, art director, thirty-foot inflatable pig and mule wrangler before she settled down in the semi-quiet role of wife, mother and writer. She resides in North Carolina with her husband, four children, five chickens and two suspected serial killer cats. If the air is cool and the sun is just coming up over the horizon, you can find her running the streets of her small town, plotting her next novel with the sort of intensity that will one day get her hit by a car.

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Giveaway:

·Three (3) winners will receive a physical copy of The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl by Leigh Statham (INT)
·Three (3) winners will receive a digital copy of The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl by Leigh Statham (INT)

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