This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Introduction
This was my first steampunk that I have read in a long while and I was all in for this, it was utterly delightful. I am not sure why I took so long to read it but thank goodness for the "Romanceopoly Reading Challenge" to get me to read books from my TBR that I have really been neglecting. I absolutely adored this one so dearly, and while it was far from perfect, as a steampunk romance, it was such a solid read and I can't wait to explore more as it has me itching for this intriguing world.

Summary
In this one we have our heroine, Janette Aston, who sneaks into the Illumists guard to discover secrets, only to be discovered by the formidable warrior and protector of the order, Darius Lawley. Janette has been forbidden most of her life to even be curious about the Illuminists and what they are about, but her mother secretly fed her science and math so that she would be ready when her time came. Darius, is a protector and warrior for the order, and protects their interests and laws no matter the cost...until Janette. There was an instant connection between Darius and Janette but their chemistry was forbidden by her father. But when through a course of events, Janette's life is in danger, she is brought to the order and she is discovered to have a fate different than any she could have imagined. But can she embrace the hidden passion that Darius brings out in her...

My Outlook
This was such a captivating read and the relationship that builds between Darius and Janette was so fascinating to me. Their chemistry is off the charts, and maybe I forgot, but this author actually writes such solid spice. For those that are new to steampunk, its basically where you mix science, historical, and paranormal aspects together. Think Sherlock Holmes but with supernatural elements. Its really a fascinating sub genre that has always intrigued me but I haven't really read that much of it. I have also been curious about Mary Wine's backlisted stories and I have to admit this was so much better than I could have hoped for. It definitely intrigued and fascinated me on a deep level and the world building on this was just enough to keep you fascinated but the focus is the ROMANCE. So if you don't really want the romance, and just steampunk, maybe skip this one here. But if you love a good romance focus, then this one might be for you. I am also intrigued by the other players involved and seeing how that developed in the companion novel.

Overall View
I found this one to be so interesting and I can't wait for more. Its a story of the magic of science and a victorian era that we never actually got to experience except for a small glimpse, Mary Wine, really captured the essence of steampunk in a brilliant unique way while being true to the romance...

Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 5
World Building: 5
Cover:5
Hero: 4
Heroine: 4
Steam: 4
Heart & Feels:3
Ending:4
Overall View: 4.25 ( )

A Lady Can Never be Too Curious (ALCNBTC) is admittedly a book I read mostly because of the cover. I don't know why I like it so much, but I really do. The synopsis leaves something to be desired and I didn't know what to expect from this book in any aspect. I actually think I decided to bypass this book when I first saw it but I eventually caved in.

In the end, I'm not sure how I feel about this book. While I didn't find it a complete waste of my time, I feel like reading one of the 20 other books I seem to have out from the library (is it just me or does every book you put on hold ALWAYS come in at the same time?) might have been time better spent.

The book starts off slow but it does reach a climax--unfortunately its just a little too late for my personal tastes. I went in hoping it would be a more thrilling book but it wasn't (when it easily could have been). Janette is nothing overly special and neither is Darius--they are your typical heroes who follow a typical historical romance plot (but in a steampunk setting). Though I will admit that I liked the sexual tension between them; but sexual tension isn't enough to drive a book on its own and I wish the plot was stronger than it was.

I think why this book didn't do much for me was that it reminded me of a tamed down version of Bec McMaster's series, London Steampunk (which I use as the standard of all adult steampunk novels I read). It just doesn't have that dark edge to it or the heat of romance I've come to expect from steampunk novels. As I was reading it I could tell I was reading a novel written by a historical romance writer and not someone who specializes in steampunk and I think that attributed to its lackluster reading for me.

Overall: To be fair, the book does pick up and I like the direction it seems to be going in for the next book, A Captain and a Corset.
While I do plan on reading the sequel, it's not at the top of my "must-read" list. Those who want a more mild steampunk novel (that is more like your typical historical romance novel but with a twist) will enjoy this novel. Otherwise, I would recommend that steampunk fans stay away.

Check out more book and series reviews on my blog SERIESous Book Reviews as well as book recaps! ( )

This was a bit of early steampunk. Dealing with crystals and a secret society that most look down upon. So they are not secret in that sense but they do not let people in.

The heroine Jeanette wants more from life, society is strict. She wants to try and wear pants, study and just be free. The Illuminsts are everything she should not want to be. She was a free spirit and I liked her courage.

Darius is a guardian and looks after his fellow Illuminists. I was a bit on the fence about him. He clearly wanted her, but he did not trust Jeanette and still he did little Darius do the thinking and it just did not feel right to me. So even though he wanted her..I dunno, I did just not warm up. He was so not trusting her and there was one thing he said that just made me angry. He should have known better. But Jeanette at least liked him so I can forgive.

I most also mention that there were these two side characters that I liked together so I hope they get a book and if so then it will be thrilling.

I did feel there could have been, well more. But as it was it was a good book. The crystals were cool and I would have liked to learn more.

There is action, romance, passion, creepy bad guys and wonders to see. ( )

I really liked this book! It had really likable characters, awesome world building, and the romance between the main characters was hot! Even the supporting characters were interesting and well-developed. I read it straight through and loved every minute of it.

Janette has spent her whole life trying to be the good little girl her father wants her to be, well at least she let's him think she is. She's been secretly reading scientific articles and has been tutored behind his back *gasp*! A love of logic and learning have come to define her, at least secretly. After sneaking into the Illuminist Society's building she finds out that she is a rare pure soul, who can handle the rare deep earth crystals without harm. She can also sense them when they are nearby, putting her in danger from the Illuminist's enemies, the Helikeians. Janette's character grows a lot throughout the book. She has to find the confidence to be an Illuminist, which goes completely against her high-society upbringing.

Darius Lawley is a Guardian in the Illuminist Society. He questions Janette after she is caught trespassing, and they have some great chemistry right from the start. They have one of those passionate, or should I say argumentative, relationships and it was great fun to watch it play out.

One of my favorite things about this book is that it has such an amazing world. The Illuminists rely on science and rare earth crystals to power their whole world. Lamps, automatic doors, noiseless carriages, and showers are all used to make their lives easier. Their society treats women as equals and they aren't held to any different standards than men. The larger part of society has shunned the Illuminists for their beliefs, and they tend to keep themselves separate. It was really interesting and I hope to learn even more about it in the next book.

The only thing I didn't like was the fact that Darius Lawley's past isn't explored more. It's alluded to in the book that Janette should be scared of him, but I don't think that it is was explained well enough. Honestly though, that was only a minor detail. It didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the book, I really liked it! I hope to find out even more in the next book, and I can't wait to read it!

4 1/2 Stars

***Review copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review*** ( )

I have to say, my overall reaction to A Lady Can Never Be Too Curious is fairly neutral. I read the book, I liked the book, but it’s not a book I would necessarily recommend. There are some definitely strong aspects but, overall, it’s not the greatest steampunk romance and there are definitely other books that I would recommend to friends before this one.

That being said, there are some good things in A Lady Can Never Be Too Curious. The best part of the book, in my opinion, is the worldbuilding. Mary Wine has created a very interesting setting for her books. It’s Victorian London with a twist, since there’s a whole separate society in the middle of the city: the Illuminists. They’re the essence of steampunk, very science-minded people building new technologies. They’ve also got something of a hippie vibe since they are all about being free with one’s sexuality. There are no shrinking maidens among the Illuminists since everyone has been taught that sex is something to be enjoyed, inside and outside of marriage. I thought the technology and social structure of the Illuminists was quite interesting and generally well explained, and it was a great backdrop for a love story. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as keen on the protagonists.

The hero of ALCNBTC, Darius, has been raised an Illuminist and stands Guardian for their society. In contrast, Janette is a more typical Victorian, though she does have wayward thoughts about science that get her in trouble with her father. And she discovers that she’s a Pure Spirit when she sneaks into a lecture in the Illuminists’ hall. Pure Spirits are able to handle Deep Earth Crystals, which regular people can’t do, and it makes Janette a hot commodity for both the Illuminists and their arch enemies, the Helikeians. There are Kelikeian spies hidden amongst the Illuminists and they remain a mystery even at the end of the novel, and I loved this classic mystery element to it. I assume the great reveal will come in future novels and I’m very curious to see who the diabolical mastermind is. :)

Getting back to the main characters, though, I have to say that they’ve got a great set-up but there was something about these two people that didn’t work for me. What it boils down to is that they were both very stock. We have a plucky heroine with a curious mind and a brave heart (who, incidentally, takes to the free-loving aspect of Illuminist society a bit too easily for me to believe it) and a broody alpha male with overprotective instincts and major sex skills. They’re the kinds of characters we see in a lot of romance novels and that’s not bad but it’s important that they stand out in some way. And Darius and Janette never really came alive for me in that way. Funnily enough, I didn’t have the same problems with the supporting characters and I was actually quite charmed by Janette’s friend Seraphina, who’s featured in the next novel. I was more interested in the tensions between the secondary characters, so I’m hopeful that the next book in the series will be more to my tastes.

A Lady Can Never Be Too Curious is a decent steampunk romance. It has good world building and some okay characters but I wasn’t blown away by it. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it but this book is more of a library loan than a keeper for me.

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