The Watchmaker's Lady by Heather Massey

Title: The Watchmaker's Lady
Author: Heather Massey
Genre: Clockpunk/Science Fiction/Erotic/Romance
Publisher: Red Sage Publishing
Available: $3.11 from Amazon.com
Rating: 4.25 stars
Rater: Pippa











PLOT SUMMARY:

Matthew Goddard is a lonely watchmaker in 1840, New England. One fateful day, he discovers the lover of his dreams in a dusty corner of the local general store--Isabel, a bisque porcelain mannequin head with mesmerizing, smoky blue eyes. When Matthew invites her to come live with him, she eagerly "accepts."

The couple embarks on a lust-filled affair, one fueled by Matthew's wild imagination. In order to provide Isabel with a brass body and pretty clothes, he begins a secret side business selling clockwork sex toys to his wealthy female customers.

Danger, however, threatens their idyllic romance when a disgruntled customer exposes Matthew's forbidden business to the townspeople. Despite the growing menace, Matthew will stop at nothing in order to save his soul mate--and protect their love.

Reader Alert!

Matthew Goddard's lover Isabel may be a clockwork automaton, but that doesn't prevent them from enjoying forbidden, uninhibited sex at every opportunity.

THE GOOD:
While on the surface this may seem another erotica story, underneath it lies a sweet and timeless romance where two soul mates manage to meet, and even death holds no barrier. The beautiful detailing in the writing perfectly reflects the time that it's set in. At first I though Matthew a sweet but deluded man, driven into a realm of illusion by his loneliness. But as the story unfolds you begin to wonder if it really is all in his head or whether there is life in his clockwork lady. The end has a surprising twist. I don't normally read erotica, but here it really underlines the repressed society in which Matthew lives and works, and the lengths that some people will go to in order to release their supressed sexual tensions in a time where the merest hint of impropriety is frowned upon. Despite the quirk in his nature, I felt very drawn and sympathetic to the character of Matthew.

THE BAD:
The sex and language are very explicit, although that probably won't be a 'bad' for fans of erotica. Some might find the abrupt shift of setting in the final chapter a little jarring.

IN SUM:
For fans of erotica, this will probably satisfy your craving, and with a new twist on the genre to keep it fresh. Providing you aren't easily offended, this is a touching love story with a real period feel and some interesting quirks. Very hot.

ADDITIONAL:
Please note - Critique de Book DOES NOT accept requests to review erotic romance or erotica. This is a book that I won, read and reviewed for my own satisfaction, and not representative of the genres generally accepted by the review site.