fuonlyknew

I’m excited to be hosting a stop for the Artifact Hunters tour that features Nefertiti’s Heart and Hatshepsut’s Collar by A.W. Exley.   This series is new adult / Mystery / Steampunk, recommended for ages 16+ (there’s some mature content). The tour runs March 3-14th.  Check out the tour page for the full list of tour stops.

Nefertiti’s Heart (Artifact Hunters #1) by A.W. Exley

Page Count: 284 pages

Published: February 4th, 2013 by Curiosity Quills Press

Genre: NA/Mystery/Steampunk

Recommended Age: 16 and up

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*****

Read my review HERE.

Cara Devon has always suffered curiosity and impetuousness, but tangling with a serial killer might cure that. Permanently.

London, 1861. Impoverished noble Cara has a simple mission after the

strange death of her father – sell off his damned collection of

priceless artifacts. Her plan goes awry when aristocratic beauties start

dying of broken hearts, an eight inch long brass key hammered through

their chests. A killer hunts amongst the nobility, searching for a regal

beauty and an ancient Egyptian relic rumored to hold the key to

immortality.

Her Majesty’s Enforcers are in pursuit of the murderer and they see a

connection between the gruesome deaths and Cara. So does she, somewhere

in London her father hid Nefertiti’s Heart, a fist sized diamond with

strange mechanical workings. Adding further complication to her life,

notorious crime lord, Viscount Nathaniel Lyons is relentless in his

desire to lay his hands on Cara and the priceless artifact. If only she

could figure out his motive.

Self-preservation fuels Cara’s search for the gem. In a society where

everyone wears a mask to hide their true intent, she needs to figure

out who to trust, before she makes a fatal mistake.

Hatshepsut’s Collar

(Artifact Hunters #2) by A.W. Exley

Page Count: 274

Published: November 13th, 2013 by Curiosity Quills Press

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*****

My Review

I like character driven stories, whether movies or books. Sometimes I don’t quite connect with them. I don’t know why, maybe it’s just one of those days. I didn’t connect with some of the characters in Nefertiti’s Heart, the first book in this series.

While reading Hatshepsut’s Collar, the magic happened, and in a big way.

Not only did I fall in love with Nate and Cara and their growing romance, Nan and Nessy kept my curiosity piqued and gave me many a chuckle.

One that really stood out was Loki, the Trickster, Nate’s pirate captain and best friend. He’s quite the devilish charmer. You have to keep your wits about you with him.

The story takes place not too long after the first book. The author does a good job recapping past events and catching you up, then it’s a hip hop from England to Russia as Nate and Cara try to protect the queen from the influence of Hatshepsut’s Collar and prove Nate’s innocence after he’s accused of high treason.

I want to talk about Nate and Cara a bit more.

While I liked her in the first book and felt for her, I really came to love her in this second book. She’s stronger, more determined and confident, and she’s one of those people who’s very presence is felt when she enters a room. She reminds me of a feline, purring one moment and spitting mad the next. Her love for Nate is tested when she learns his huge secret. It was an ‘oh no’ moment for me.

Nate is sexy and sardonic, sure in his love for Cara, but fears what his secret will do to their relationship. It’s still blooming and while the bond forged between them by Nefertiti’s Heart is powerful, he can’t be sure what Cara will do.

Now to the romance. I read both books back to back and while referring to my notes, I mistakenly mentioned the romance between Nate and Cara in Nefertiti’s Heart was steamy erotic in my review. That wasn’t so and I corrected it. It was meant to be mentioned in this second review as the romance is steamy from the get go.

I also mentioned in my review of book one that I felt the second book might be even better and it is. The authors writing just seemed to reach inside me and grab hold. I’m thinking I should reread the first book and see how I feel afterward. Sometimes your mood can affect how you receive a story.

An adventure wrought with danger, some humor to take the edge off, and steamy romance await. Hatshepsut’s Collar is a great continuation in this series and I very much recommend it.

5 STARS

****

A couple teasers to whet your appetite.

“Could you saddle a horse, please? A real one..”

And this from Cara to Nate:

“Despite you being an arrogant, dangerous, pig-headed man, I love you. Our hearts are bound. I can’t conceal anything from you. You only have to look inside for answers.”

****

An ancient Egyptian artifact is driving Queen Victoria insane, and that’s not top of Cara Devon’s growing list of problems.

Viscount Nathaniel Lyons is a man of numerous secrets, but there is one in particular that threatens his fledgling relationship with Cara. Stunned by Nate’s revelation, and before she can absorb the ramifications of his actions, he is arrested, charged with treason and imprisoned in the grim Tower of London. He stole something the mad queen wants, and only has days to deliver, before his date with the executioner.

Although sorely tempted, Cara can’t let him die on Tower Green, not when their connection means she would share his fate.

Only together can Cara and Nate figure out how to wrestle Hatshepsut’s Collar from around the queen’s neck, before she plunges Britain into a world war. The search for answers sends Cara to the opulent Winter Palace of St Petersburg and the frozen depths of Siberia, with every step shadowed by an enemy with his own dark plans.

Anita Exley’s Biography:

Books and writing have always been an enormous part of A.W. Exley’s life.

She survived school by hiding out in the library, with several thousand fictional characters for company. At university, she overcame the boredom of studying accountancy by squeezing in Egyptology papers and learning to read hieroglyphics.

Today, Anita writes steampunk novels with a sexy edge and an Egyptian twist. She lives in rural New Zealand surrounded by an assortment of weird and wonderful equines, felines, canine and homicidal chickens.