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



Welcome to my tour stop for this fabulous new YA Steampunk by a debut author, Leigh Statham!
Check out the book and author info, as well as my review and the giveaway below...

The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl
by Leigh Statham
YA Steampunk
Paperback, 297 Pages
March 17th 2015 by Month9Books

Summary

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.

    Indigo Chapters

My Review

I loved The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl with its new, refreshing take on the genre. There was no doubt as to this being Steampunk, with all the various gadgets woven through the story from traveling vehicles to servants and other contraptions. I loved the historical setting and the characters, especially Marguerite and a particular suitor.

I loved the historical setting, from the more traditional backdrop of Marguerite's home to the more forward-thinking airship the Triumph, and finally to New France where women selected who they wanted to marry or to marry not at all. There is just something about mixing contraptions that do amazing futuristic things and the more sedate traditional society... Probably the way they almost contradict each other and create quite an interesting contrast. It was done very well here, such as when there was a fancy ball to find Marguerite a husband she didn't want while being served by bots and having access to other contraptions. There were some interesting parallels I saw between this story and another rather famous ship. I don't want to give too much away. It was really creative. I also liked the nonfictional historical background for the book and what the author shared about her ancestor. 

Marguerite was an interesting protagonist. She was definitely a little spoiled and naive, but at the same time was intelligent and made of pretty stern stuff. I enjoyed seeing her mature and change a little as her story progressed and as she faces some tough things. I enjoyed her banter with Jacques and their attraction to each other. Jacques was a little too enthusiastic sometimes, but I found that much of that was to hide deeper feelings. He was a great guy and rather intriguing as well. I also liked Claude and the role he played in the story. Then you have some of the suitors and Marguerite's father (poor man) who added some additional character to the story. Finally, there was the villain of the story, Madame Pomphart, who I absolutely detested. That is all I will say about her.

The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl kept me engaged, had me tearing up at one point, made me angry, had thrills, and some sweetly romantic moments that were also intense. I love it when stories can pull those emotions from me and this one definitely did! I would definitely recommend this to those who enjoy reading Steampunk. I can't wait to see what Statham writes next!

Content: Clean

Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through the tour host, which did not affect my review in any way.

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.

Connect with the Author: Website |Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Tour-Wide 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)- Giveaway ends April 13, 2015

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10 comments

  1. Love the title, love the cover, love your review, gotta read it :)

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  2. I do like this cover, and the synopsis is good too.

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  3. I haven't read a great steam punk novel in a while so I'll be giving this book a try!

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  4. Tracy Renee Snyder3/27/15, 12:06 PM

    great cover

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  5. This sounds like a fun book. :)

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  6. Diane Elizabeth3/27/15, 8:57 PM

    Beautiful cover, and the summary sounds interesting.

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  7. Great review, I absolutely loved this book!

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  8. Sandy Klocinski3/28/15, 5:35 AM

    Great Title! Thanks for the chance!

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  9. thanks for the giveaway offer

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  10. Glenda Hefty4/5/15, 10:58 PM

    Haven't read any steam punk that I know of...sounds like an interesting genre and this book sounds different which is always nice.

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