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Stormy Gale #1
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale
(25,900 words)
I'm a time pirate—born in 1810, now a 21st-century woman. I travel through time trying to right wrongs without disrupting the fragile balance between what is and what can never be.
That's why it's vital that I go to 1836 and find the man who conned my brother out of his Time Travel Mechanism as quickly as possible. If the technology falls into the wrong hands, it could change the world as we know it. The notorious Duke of Leister definitely qualifies as the wrong hands. An amateur scientist of the slightly mad variety, he's bound to figure out how to use the TTM sooner rather than later.
I knew this wouldn't be easy. But I wasn't counting on him being as sexy as hell. Or winding up chained to his bed...
I'm a time pirate—born in 1810, now a 21st-century woman. I travel through time trying to right wrongs without disrupting the fragile balance between what is and what can never be.
That's why it's vital that I go to 1836 and find the man who conned my brother out of his Time Travel Mechanism as quickly as possible. If the technology falls into the wrong hands, it could change the world as we know it. The notorious Duke of Leister definitely qualifies as the wrong hands. An amateur scientist of the slightly mad variety, he's bound to figure out how to use the TTM sooner rather than later.
I knew this wouldn't be easy. But I wasn't counting on him being as sexy as hell. Or winding up chained to his bed...
83 pages, ebook
First published April 1, 2011
About the author
Christine Bell
44 books1,275 followersChristine Bell is a romance author and also writes erotic romance as Chloe Cole. She and her handsome hubby currently reside in Pennsylvania with a four-pack of teenage boys. If she gets time off from her duties as maid, chef, chauffeur, or therapist, she can be found reading just about anything she can get her hands on, from Young Adult novels to books on poker theory. She doesn’t like root beer, clowns or bugs (except ladybugs, on account of their cute outfits), but lurrves chocolate, going to the movies, the New York Giants and playing Texas Hold ‘Em. Writing is her passion, but if she had to pick another occupation, she would be a pirate…or, like, a ninja maybe. She loves writing steamy romance stories, but also hopes to one day publish something her dad can read without wanting to dig his eyes out with a rusty spoon. Christine loves to hear from readers, so please contact her through her website, www.christine-bell.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
May 5, 2011
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is a fun and romantic adventure through time!
Stormy is a time pirate and she has traveled back to the 18th century to retrieve the TTM (Time Traveling Mechanism) that her brother, Bacon, lost gabling with the Looney Duke of Leister. Disguised as a fortune-telling gypsy she plans to con him out of the piece at a festival but the man who enters her tent takes Stormy by surprise; he is not at all what she was expecting and is disturbingly familiar. Will she be able to get the TMM back before the worm whole closes? Or will she loose more then just time in the arms of the Looney Duke? You must read to find out!
Sometimes novellas leave you wanting but the story of Dorothy “Stormy” Gale was rich, full and I loved every minute of it.
The premise of the story was instantly intriguing, less then a handle of people traveling through time righting wrongs while keeping the secret and not changing history in the process? Sounds good right? Then you throw in sexy main characters, a loveable brother, past hurts and romantic tension & gratification and you have a fabulous tale!
Stormy is a fun, witty and hilarious heroine that I fell into right away. Her relationship with the sexy, determined and courageous Duke was well developed and believable, and they fit each other perfectly. The plot was original and moved at fast paced with enough of a background story for the reader to receive the whole picture. There was nothing that I didn’t enjoy about this novella and I would recommend it to all!
Stormy is a time pirate and she has traveled back to the 18th century to retrieve the TTM (Time Traveling Mechanism) that her brother, Bacon, lost gabling with the Looney Duke of Leister. Disguised as a fortune-telling gypsy she plans to con him out of the piece at a festival but the man who enters her tent takes Stormy by surprise; he is not at all what she was expecting and is disturbingly familiar. Will she be able to get the TMM back before the worm whole closes? Or will she loose more then just time in the arms of the Looney Duke? You must read to find out!
Sometimes novellas leave you wanting but the story of Dorothy “Stormy” Gale was rich, full and I loved every minute of it.
The premise of the story was instantly intriguing, less then a handle of people traveling through time righting wrongs while keeping the secret and not changing history in the process? Sounds good right? Then you throw in sexy main characters, a loveable brother, past hurts and romantic tension & gratification and you have a fabulous tale!
Stormy is a fun, witty and hilarious heroine that I fell into right away. Her relationship with the sexy, determined and courageous Duke was well developed and believable, and they fit each other perfectly. The plot was original and moved at fast paced with enough of a background story for the reader to receive the whole picture. There was nothing that I didn’t enjoy about this novella and I would recommend it to all!
May 17, 2011
I read The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale in about 3 hours which is due to the shortness of the book rather than the "I just couldn't put it down!" factor. Don't get me wrong this is an okay read, the character of Stormy had me laughing quite a bit throughout the book and the premise is entertaining. Had the story been longer and included more detail I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more.
Due to the short length of the story certain events happen way too fast. *SPOILER* One of which is a sex "scene" between Stormy and the Duke. I find it very hard to believe that after being drugged,kidnapped and chained to a bed in a "torture" room, finding out said kidnapper is a someone she knew and had helped her when she was living on the street as a child would automatically cause her to want to "f" his brains out and proceed to do so. Perhaps if the story was longer this sex "scene" would not have been rushed into and would have been more believable. *END SPOILER*
Only one character had a name that distracted me, Bacon. Yep, she seriously named a character after a type of meat! It was so distracting! Every time I saw his name I laughed hysterically. I had to rename the character Bob just so I could move on with the story. However, later in the story you find out why he is named Bacon and the reason she chose this name for the character makes sense.
In my opinion this is an okay read, perfect if you have a few hours you need to kill and looking for an entertaining and funny steam punk-ish type story with a fast-paced unrealistic romance.
Due to the short length of the story certain events happen way too fast. *SPOILER* One of which is a sex "scene" between Stormy and the Duke. I find it very hard to believe that after being drugged,kidnapped and chained to a bed in a "torture" room, finding out said kidnapper is a someone she knew and had helped her when she was living on the street as a child would automatically cause her to want to "f" his brains out and proceed to do so. Perhaps if the story was longer this sex "scene" would not have been rushed into and would have been more believable. *END SPOILER*
Only one character had a name that distracted me, Bacon. Yep, she seriously named a character after a type of meat! It was so distracting! Every time I saw his name I laughed hysterically. I had to rename the character Bob just so I could move on with the story. However, later in the story you find out why he is named Bacon and the reason she chose this name for the character makes sense.
In my opinion this is an okay read, perfect if you have a few hours you need to kill and looking for an entertaining and funny steam punk-ish type story with a fast-paced unrealistic romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2011
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is a beguiling tale of time travel, love, and trust. The story is told from the first person point of view from the quirky Stormy's viewpoint. Stormy offers deep insight and humor while telling her story. She is a time pirate who was originally born in 1810 and whisked away from her pallid London life by a gentle man who becomes her adoptive father to live in the 21st century.
Stormy becomes a time pirate where she and her brother, Bacon, help the human condition without disrupting the delicate equilibrium between current reality and what cannot become reality. Well, back in 1836, Bacon has lost his Time Travel Mechanism (TTM) in card game. Stormy and Bacon must travel back in time to locate and retrieve the vital TTM before it gets into the wrong hands. The Duke of Leister (Devlin) is a scientist in his own right and is the person who divested Bacon on the TTM.
The antics Stormy has to go through to get her machine back is funny, especially told from her point of view. However, humor has nothing to do with the feelings that develop between Devlin and Stormy and a connection she never dreamed they would share.
Christine Bell does a very good job of putting together a very appealing love story in a short amount of time. This short, romantic read should not be overlooked!
Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!
Stormy becomes a time pirate where she and her brother, Bacon, help the human condition without disrupting the delicate equilibrium between current reality and what cannot become reality. Well, back in 1836, Bacon has lost his Time Travel Mechanism (TTM) in card game. Stormy and Bacon must travel back in time to locate and retrieve the vital TTM before it gets into the wrong hands. The Duke of Leister (Devlin) is a scientist in his own right and is the person who divested Bacon on the TTM.
The antics Stormy has to go through to get her machine back is funny, especially told from her point of view. However, humor has nothing to do with the feelings that develop between Devlin and Stormy and a connection she never dreamed they would share.
Christine Bell does a very good job of putting together a very appealing love story in a short amount of time. This short, romantic read should not be overlooked!
Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!
July 28, 2019
This was cute, and had a lot of great ideas, but too short. I liked the idea of a time pirate, going in the past, taking stuff, selling it in the future and using the money for good. I liked the characters, they needed a bit more flushing out though. Didn't really like the fact that she hadn't seen him since she was 14, but as soon as she realized who he was, they sleep together. A bit much, but it is what it is.
April 21, 2011
Steam Punk is hot, hot, hot right now, and I’m just starting to venture into this growing sub-genre. Stormy Gale is the perfect introduction to Steam Punk—at under 100 pages, it’s a short investment to test-drive both a talented new author and an emerging sub-genre. Stormy Gale was whisked from her Victorian existence as a street urchin into the 21st century by a benevolent time-traveler who raised her as a daughter and entrusted her with securing the secrets of time travel. She’s back in Victorian time, albeit in America this time, rescuing a time travel device from a Mad Duke. To accomplish this, she disguises herself as a fortune telling gypsy at a village fair. Much hilarity ensues –Bell uses physical comedy to tremendous affect here.
The book is first-person so we only get Stormy’s narration and POV, and despite her Victorian birth, Stormy is very much a 21st century woman with her speech and thoughts. I had to remind myself that the whole point of steam punk is the ability to insert anachronistic elements at whim and to craft believable alternate universes, which Bell does admirably, especially considering the short format. If you love Dr. Who and especially Torchwood, I think you will adore Stormy and her side-kick brother. About halfway through the story, Bell inserts a twist that I absolutely didn’t see coming AT ALL. And at first, I didn’t like the twist. But, upon further reflection, I think it was a very smart choice on Bell’s part as it really ramps up the emotional intensity and leads to a very nice, high stakes black moment and satisfying climax.
The door is certainly open to further adventures—perhaps the brother will get a story of his own? Are there others like Stormy and her brother? Do they communicate with each other? I’d love to revisit this universe, particularly in a full-length book. There was easily enough material here to support a full-length book, which is really my only quibble. Everything feels rushed, but it’s only a novella—that’s pretty much unavoidable. The whole novella is very light and fun and is a great substitute for a night of TV. I particularly loved Bell’s irreverent first person voice, a very unusual choice, but it really works to her advantage. If you enjoy Katie MacAlister, I think you will love Bell, and I can see her having particular appeal to older teens & early 20s readers (note: there is a love scene, and while it’s steamy, it’s not exceptionally graphic, and unlike some novellas, the love scene is a very small percentage of the total word count—the focus is on Stormy’s dilemma). I’m curious to see what Bell does with other POVs and genres, and I’m planning to look at her backlist (she also writes as Chloe Cole).
The book is first-person so we only get Stormy’s narration and POV, and despite her Victorian birth, Stormy is very much a 21st century woman with her speech and thoughts. I had to remind myself that the whole point of steam punk is the ability to insert anachronistic elements at whim and to craft believable alternate universes, which Bell does admirably, especially considering the short format. If you love Dr. Who and especially Torchwood, I think you will adore Stormy and her side-kick brother. About halfway through the story, Bell inserts a twist that I absolutely didn’t see coming AT ALL. And at first, I didn’t like the twist. But, upon further reflection, I think it was a very smart choice on Bell’s part as it really ramps up the emotional intensity and leads to a very nice, high stakes black moment and satisfying climax.
The door is certainly open to further adventures—perhaps the brother will get a story of his own? Are there others like Stormy and her brother? Do they communicate with each other? I’d love to revisit this universe, particularly in a full-length book. There was easily enough material here to support a full-length book, which is really my only quibble. Everything feels rushed, but it’s only a novella—that’s pretty much unavoidable. The whole novella is very light and fun and is a great substitute for a night of TV. I particularly loved Bell’s irreverent first person voice, a very unusual choice, but it really works to her advantage. If you enjoy Katie MacAlister, I think you will love Bell, and I can see her having particular appeal to older teens & early 20s readers (note: there is a love scene, and while it’s steamy, it’s not exceptionally graphic, and unlike some novellas, the love scene is a very small percentage of the total word count—the focus is on Stormy’s dilemma). I’m curious to see what Bell does with other POVs and genres, and I’m planning to look at her backlist (she also writes as Chloe Cole).
April 20, 2011
Upfront, I have to say that yes, Christine Bell is a friend of mine. Which is more to explain how I got an ARC of a book that isn’t out until April 25th than anything else. Because friend or not, if I don’t like the book, I’m not going to lie.
I did not like this book.
I LOVED this book.
(Scared you for second there, didn’t I?)
So here’s the premise–Stormy Gale is a time traveler who, along with her adopted brother Bacon (whom you can’t help but love and want to cuddle and smack in the back of the head sometimes) uses a watch-looking device devised by their adoptive father to right wrongs in the past. (Don’t worry, there’s explanations on how this is okay. Stormy isn’t about to go back in time and set off the Butterfly Effect, she’s not that kinda girl) But when Bacon loses his, Stormy has to get the device back. Immediately. The man she has to get it from, however, turns out to be far more of an adventure than Stormy has faced ever before.
Why Did I Love This Book: Well, first off, the emotion. From her oft-exasperated big sister love for her brother to her bewildered love for her hero, Stormy is honest, and far more fleshed out than one would think could happen in a novella sized book. I loved Bacon, the equally sweet and occasionally clueless guy who would go to the ends of the earth (and has) for his big sister. I fell totally for Dev, Stormy’s hero, who actually made me cry for all the things he’d been through and boy, if ever a man deserved his happy ending (and yes, take that any way you like). But ultimately, I loved Stormy. For someone so tough and jaded, in her heart she’s a marshmallow and it’s great to see her drop those layers and walls one by one for the guy who deserves the girl inside.
Things That Might Not Work For Folks: Well, I don’t claim to be an expert on steampunk, but I think if you’re looking for traditional steampunk, this might not be what you’re expecting. It’s a great story, don’t get me wrong. There’s some awesome details to the Time Travel Machine, but you shouldn’t go in expecting corsets and trains, if you know what I mean. :)
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is, in a word, a triumph. For the author to create so realistic a set of characters and the worlds they inhabit, it’s what I would call a master class on short writing. I read, I laughed, I cried and I sighed. I think, when April rolls around, so will you. Keep an eye out for this one and anything else you can find from Christine Bell.
I did not like this book.
I LOVED this book.
(Scared you for second there, didn’t I?)
So here’s the premise–Stormy Gale is a time traveler who, along with her adopted brother Bacon (whom you can’t help but love and want to cuddle and smack in the back of the head sometimes) uses a watch-looking device devised by their adoptive father to right wrongs in the past. (Don’t worry, there’s explanations on how this is okay. Stormy isn’t about to go back in time and set off the Butterfly Effect, she’s not that kinda girl) But when Bacon loses his, Stormy has to get the device back. Immediately. The man she has to get it from, however, turns out to be far more of an adventure than Stormy has faced ever before.
Why Did I Love This Book: Well, first off, the emotion. From her oft-exasperated big sister love for her brother to her bewildered love for her hero, Stormy is honest, and far more fleshed out than one would think could happen in a novella sized book. I loved Bacon, the equally sweet and occasionally clueless guy who would go to the ends of the earth (and has) for his big sister. I fell totally for Dev, Stormy’s hero, who actually made me cry for all the things he’d been through and boy, if ever a man deserved his happy ending (and yes, take that any way you like). But ultimately, I loved Stormy. For someone so tough and jaded, in her heart she’s a marshmallow and it’s great to see her drop those layers and walls one by one for the guy who deserves the girl inside.
Things That Might Not Work For Folks: Well, I don’t claim to be an expert on steampunk, but I think if you’re looking for traditional steampunk, this might not be what you’re expecting. It’s a great story, don’t get me wrong. There’s some awesome details to the Time Travel Machine, but you shouldn’t go in expecting corsets and trains, if you know what I mean. :)
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is, in a word, a triumph. For the author to create so realistic a set of characters and the worlds they inhabit, it’s what I would call a master class on short writing. I read, I laughed, I cried and I sighed. I think, when April rolls around, so will you. Keep an eye out for this one and anything else you can find from Christine Bell.
April 6, 2011
www.breesabookworm.com
I received this book from Carina Press as an ARC through a galley grab.
This book is to be released April 25, 2011. It was written by Christine Bell (also known as Chloe Cole, a name she pens erotic romance under). I will definitely be looking into other Christine Bell books!
From the start, I was hooked. The dialogue itself was fast, clever, and witty. It was also a very quick read, I read it in a couple of hours. I believe it has just over twenty-five thousand words.
You've got Dorothy "Stormy" Gale, a time pirate. She travels back in time to steal from the rich to give to the poor. Her brother, Bacon, goes along with her on her travels. But, that isn't what this story is about.
Her brother Bacon lost one of their time travel devices in a game over poker, when they time traveled back to the 1800's, to the Loony Duke of Leister. So, from the start Stormy and Bacon go back in time, whereupon she dresses up like a Madame Baptiste, her fortune teller persona, in order to trick the Loony Duke into giving her back the "TTM".
About halfway through the book there was what I considered a pretty big twist, which had me thinking how totally cool it was!
I can't really say anything more in fear of giving anything away. Suffice to say, the Duke is a hotty, Loony or not...which puts a hitch in Stormy's plans.
Even if you don't like science fiction, and this might be considered a little steampunkish with the time travel and all, I think you'll still like the book. It's a romance after all, and a good one at that. The author did a solid job in the short span of the book. I was really surprised, but very happy to have read it!
I also wanted to add that I just really liked the name of the book. Not just for it's clever rhyming, lol, but it's so darn catchy!
I received this book from Carina Press as an ARC through a galley grab.
This book is to be released April 25, 2011. It was written by Christine Bell (also known as Chloe Cole, a name she pens erotic romance under). I will definitely be looking into other Christine Bell books!
From the start, I was hooked. The dialogue itself was fast, clever, and witty. It was also a very quick read, I read it in a couple of hours. I believe it has just over twenty-five thousand words.
You've got Dorothy "Stormy" Gale, a time pirate. She travels back in time to steal from the rich to give to the poor. Her brother, Bacon, goes along with her on her travels. But, that isn't what this story is about.
Her brother Bacon lost one of their time travel devices in a game over poker, when they time traveled back to the 1800's, to the Loony Duke of Leister. So, from the start Stormy and Bacon go back in time, whereupon she dresses up like a Madame Baptiste, her fortune teller persona, in order to trick the Loony Duke into giving her back the "TTM".
About halfway through the book there was what I considered a pretty big twist, which had me thinking how totally cool it was!
I can't really say anything more in fear of giving anything away. Suffice to say, the Duke is a hotty, Loony or not...which puts a hitch in Stormy's plans.
Even if you don't like science fiction, and this might be considered a little steampunkish with the time travel and all, I think you'll still like the book. It's a romance after all, and a good one at that. The author did a solid job in the short span of the book. I was really surprised, but very happy to have read it!
I also wanted to add that I just really liked the name of the book. Not just for it's clever rhyming, lol, but it's so darn catchy!
August 4, 2011
OMGosh!!! This was an incredibly fun little story.
Stormy Gale is a time traveling pirate, born in London in the 1800’s, and has lived in the 21st century with her brother Bacon, (Yes I said Bacon ) and loves TV, Starbucks, and Ben & Jerry’s. Well, Stormy and Bacon find themselves having to time travel back to the 1800’s to retrieve Bacon’s time traveling mechanism that he lost during a drunken card game with the Loony Duke of Leister.
When they return to their 19th century London destination, Stormy sets up shop at the local fairgrounds, trying to pose as a gypsy fortune teller, in hopes of crossing paths with the Duke of Leister. She doesn’t know what he looks like, and Bacon was too drunk to remember. Well, soon enough , a “tall dark and handsome” strolls into her tent. After a short while, it’s discovered that this is the man she’s looking for. They play little games, while drinking wine. Stormy’s plan is to get the Loony Duke drunk, and hopefully pass out, with the help of drugging his wine as well. Her little plan backfires, and she ends up chained to a bed in the Duke’s torture chamber. It is soon discovered that the Duke is someone from her past, someone that meant a great deal to her. And apparently she means a great deal to him as well.
After the mission is accomplished, Stormy and Bacon return to the 21st century, but Stormy has lost her heart back in the 19th century.
Stormy was really funny, and I loved her sense of humor., and Bacon was very sweet. I didn’t get a great feel for Leister. The story is told in the 1st person POV, and I feel like Leister needs some polishing up. There is lots of potential in this story.
April 25, 2011
Wow! This is a great fast paced read that I could not put down!
Considering that this is a novella, Christine Bell wrote a delightful, thrilling tale of time travel. The characters were all incredible. I especially loved Bacon, Stormy’s younger brother.
There were several points in the story that really took me by surprise.
I have recently fallen in love with Steampunk books and this is going into that list of great Steampunk that I have read. I certainly hope that Christine decides to make this into a series. I would definitely love to read more books about Stormy & Bacon!
In conjunction with the Wakela's World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone.
Considering that this is a novella, Christine Bell wrote a delightful, thrilling tale of time travel. The characters were all incredible. I especially loved Bacon, Stormy’s younger brother.
There were several points in the story that really took me by surprise.
I have recently fallen in love with Steampunk books and this is going into that list of great Steampunk that I have read. I certainly hope that Christine decides to make this into a series. I would definitely love to read more books about Stormy & Bacon!
In conjunction with the Wakela's World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone.
July 8, 2012
Readers should be aware, this is a romance wrapped in a bit of sci-fi time travel. With that in mind, and even though I would have preferred the story had been longer, fleshing out Stormy's time travel back story, I found it very enjoyable.
April 18, 2018
This was all over the place, and I'm not actually sure how I felt about it.
Stormy being such a "21st century girl" irked me. I mean all the pop culture was shoved down our throats.
Other than that, I guess it was alright.
Stormy being such a "21st century girl" irked me. I mean all the pop culture was shoved down our throats.
Other than that, I guess it was alright.
March 25, 2011
GENRE: Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy, Romance
BOOK THEME: Time Travelers
RECEIVED: Arc copy from Carina Press
BLOG POST: March 25, 2011
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
AMAZON DESCRIPTION:
I’m a time pirate-born in 1810, now a 21st-century woman. I travel through time trying to right wrongs without disrupting the fragile balance between what is and what can never be.
That’s why it’s vital that I go to 1836 and find the man who conned my brother out of his Time Travel Mechanism as quickly as possible. If the technology falls into the wrong hands, it could change the world as we know it. The notorious Duke of Leister definitely qualifies as the wrong hands. An amateur scientist of the slightly mad variety, he’s bound to figure out how to use the TTM sooner rather than later.
I knew this wouldn’t be easy. But I wasn’t counting on him being as sexy as hell. Or winding up chained to his bed…
QUICK THOUGHTS:
Stormy and her Brother Bacon are travelers, but not the norm, because they travel through time. After Bacon loses his TTM, which takes them to whatever time they please. Since he lost in gambling Stormy takes it upon herself to find this Loony Duke who has Bacons TTM. But she doesn’t expect this duke to be smoking hot and not so loony.
REVIEW:
Twisted Tale of Stormy gales is a fun and entertaining short story, being only 25,000 words you get a great tale about two time travelers. After Bacon loses his TTM in a gamble they brother and sister duo go back in time to find the man known as Looney Leister who has the time travel piece.
Dressed as a gypsy, Stormy goes undercover to track down this man and help her brother. Little does she know that she’ll be face to face with Loony Leister and that he wont be easily tricked! Besides being handsome and clever Leister seems to have an interesting past that connects him to Stormy.
I can’t say much more because it’s a short story and too much detail will give away all the fun. But I enjoyed this tale and the characters are a bundle of fun especially Stormy, she’s a touch chick who will do anything to protect her brother and their secret. Adding in some steamy romance and some humor, why wouldn’t you want to check this out (:
I have to say I wish this story was longer, cause I was really enjoying the characters and the story was so original. I’m hoping that there might be a second or a lengthier addition to this one.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult story that carries adult elements such as, sexual content but it’s all in good fun. This eBook will be released April 25th.
BOOK THEME: Time Travelers
RECEIVED: Arc copy from Carina Press
BLOG POST: March 25, 2011
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
AMAZON DESCRIPTION:
I’m a time pirate-born in 1810, now a 21st-century woman. I travel through time trying to right wrongs without disrupting the fragile balance between what is and what can never be.
That’s why it’s vital that I go to 1836 and find the man who conned my brother out of his Time Travel Mechanism as quickly as possible. If the technology falls into the wrong hands, it could change the world as we know it. The notorious Duke of Leister definitely qualifies as the wrong hands. An amateur scientist of the slightly mad variety, he’s bound to figure out how to use the TTM sooner rather than later.
I knew this wouldn’t be easy. But I wasn’t counting on him being as sexy as hell. Or winding up chained to his bed…
QUICK THOUGHTS:
Stormy and her Brother Bacon are travelers, but not the norm, because they travel through time. After Bacon loses his TTM, which takes them to whatever time they please. Since he lost in gambling Stormy takes it upon herself to find this Loony Duke who has Bacons TTM. But she doesn’t expect this duke to be smoking hot and not so loony.
REVIEW:
Twisted Tale of Stormy gales is a fun and entertaining short story, being only 25,000 words you get a great tale about two time travelers. After Bacon loses his TTM in a gamble they brother and sister duo go back in time to find the man known as Looney Leister who has the time travel piece.
Dressed as a gypsy, Stormy goes undercover to track down this man and help her brother. Little does she know that she’ll be face to face with Loony Leister and that he wont be easily tricked! Besides being handsome and clever Leister seems to have an interesting past that connects him to Stormy.
I can’t say much more because it’s a short story and too much detail will give away all the fun. But I enjoyed this tale and the characters are a bundle of fun especially Stormy, she’s a touch chick who will do anything to protect her brother and their secret. Adding in some steamy romance and some humor, why wouldn’t you want to check this out (:
I have to say I wish this story was longer, cause I was really enjoying the characters and the story was so original. I’m hoping that there might be a second or a lengthier addition to this one.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult story that carries adult elements such as, sexual content but it’s all in good fun. This eBook will be released April 25th.
May 22, 2011
Originally posted at smexybooks-http://www.smexybooks.com/2011/05/rev...
Favorite Quote: “Holy giant schlong, Batman!“
I found The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale to be a delightful time travel story. Small in size, only about 25,000 words, Ms. Bell manages to produce a robust story filled with intrigue, suspense, humor, and romance. Ms. Bell writing is almost lyrical in it’s rhythmic ebb and flow. Fast paced with some truly laugh out loud scenes, I found myself unable to set it down.
“Dammit. I wasn’t even allowed to throw a decent hissy fit. With a sigh, I holstered my work pistols, packed away my puppy-kicking boots and pasted on a reassuring smile.”
Stormy Gale has to travel back to the 1800’s to steal back her brother Bacon’s TTM from an amateur scientist named The Loony Duke of Leister. She decides that disguising herself as a Romanian gypsy fortune teller and conning the Duke out of the TTM is the best plan of action. Unfortunately, the Duke speaks Romanian and she does not. After a humorous comedy of errors plays out, Stormy finds herself on the receiving end of her con game and chained to the Duke’s bed.
As Stormy and the Duke match wits we find out that his conning Bacon out of his TTM was not a trick of fate. The Duke knew who Bacon was and planned it all out. A curiously heart wrenching scene follows and we are torn, with Stormy, on which way to proceed.
The ending is sigh worthy and we are even granted a small epilogue so that we may see how our protagonists fared in the end.
My only fault with this book? I wished it had been longer so that we could have enjoyed the development of the secondary characters a bit more. Stormy, as the POV, fleshes out wonderfully but the Duke and Bacon seem a little “cardboard-ish” because the length just doesn’t allow for more in depth connection with them.
All in all a fun, fast read that delivers what it promises. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Bell and hope she decides to visit this topic again in future books.
Rating: C+
Favorite Quote: “Holy giant schlong, Batman!“
I found The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale to be a delightful time travel story. Small in size, only about 25,000 words, Ms. Bell manages to produce a robust story filled with intrigue, suspense, humor, and romance. Ms. Bell writing is almost lyrical in it’s rhythmic ebb and flow. Fast paced with some truly laugh out loud scenes, I found myself unable to set it down.
“Dammit. I wasn’t even allowed to throw a decent hissy fit. With a sigh, I holstered my work pistols, packed away my puppy-kicking boots and pasted on a reassuring smile.”
Stormy Gale has to travel back to the 1800’s to steal back her brother Bacon’s TTM from an amateur scientist named The Loony Duke of Leister. She decides that disguising herself as a Romanian gypsy fortune teller and conning the Duke out of the TTM is the best plan of action. Unfortunately, the Duke speaks Romanian and she does not. After a humorous comedy of errors plays out, Stormy finds herself on the receiving end of her con game and chained to the Duke’s bed.
As Stormy and the Duke match wits we find out that his conning Bacon out of his TTM was not a trick of fate. The Duke knew who Bacon was and planned it all out. A curiously heart wrenching scene follows and we are torn, with Stormy, on which way to proceed.
The ending is sigh worthy and we are even granted a small epilogue so that we may see how our protagonists fared in the end.
My only fault with this book? I wished it had been longer so that we could have enjoyed the development of the secondary characters a bit more. Stormy, as the POV, fleshes out wonderfully but the Duke and Bacon seem a little “cardboard-ish” because the length just doesn’t allow for more in depth connection with them.
All in all a fun, fast read that delivers what it promises. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Bell and hope she decides to visit this topic again in future books.
Rating: C+
May 13, 2011
This was a great little read, which I received through netgalley. I'm not particularly into time-travel type stories. Everything else has to be completely convincing for them to work really well for me, and they also have to be well-written.
Well, this one was. I LOVED the writing style, which was an intriguing mixture of the bored, chatty, no-nonsense narration of a contemporary British woman, laced with American cultural references and giving a different perspective on the Victorian era. The writing came out as incredibly funny, with some wonderful little touches (boob-flashing as a negotiation strategy?!).
The characters themselves were incredibly endearing. The heroine, the hero and her brother were just lovely people, and I really liked how the author concentrated on the main characters almost exclusively. In a short book, you can't have too many characters running around, it just makes it too chaotic.
The twist in the tale is also really excellent - almost unbelievable but believable at the same time, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I couldn't really decide if I felt that it was just too neat a twist, or whether it was just a perfect central theme for the book. I still can't decide, but the fact that I'm still thinking about it, for a book that I basically read in a couple of hours, says it all!
Really enjoyed it, and will certainly check out this author's other work. 4 stars - I really liked it.
Well, this one was. I LOVED the writing style, which was an intriguing mixture of the bored, chatty, no-nonsense narration of a contemporary British woman, laced with American cultural references and giving a different perspective on the Victorian era. The writing came out as incredibly funny, with some wonderful little touches (boob-flashing as a negotiation strategy?!).
The characters themselves were incredibly endearing. The heroine, the hero and her brother were just lovely people, and I really liked how the author concentrated on the main characters almost exclusively. In a short book, you can't have too many characters running around, it just makes it too chaotic.
The twist in the tale is also really excellent - almost unbelievable but believable at the same time, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I couldn't really decide if I felt that it was just too neat a twist, or whether it was just a perfect central theme for the book. I still can't decide, but the fact that I'm still thinking about it, for a book that I basically read in a couple of hours, says it all!
Really enjoyed it, and will certainly check out this author's other work. 4 stars - I really liked it.
April 25, 2011
I loved this briskly paced book. This was my first steampunk book and I will certainly try another one. I never read many historicals set in the Victorian period, and I had been reluctant to give the genre a try. I'm so glad that I did. In the end the blend of history, fantastical technology and a sweet romance won my heart.
Stormy Gale needs to recover her brother's Time Travel Mechanism and preserve the past. Stormy Gale faces her problems with courage and a fabulous snarky sense of humor. The relationship with her younger brother, sweet and realistic, shows another side to the lonely and driven time pirate. The Duke is a tortured and slightly mad antagonist who keeps Stormy off balance for much of the book. Me, too, since I literally didn't know what would happen next for the whole book. Will definitely reread this one.
Stormy Gale needs to recover her brother's Time Travel Mechanism and preserve the past. Stormy Gale faces her problems with courage and a fabulous snarky sense of humor. The relationship with her younger brother, sweet and realistic, shows another side to the lonely and driven time pirate. The Duke is a tortured and slightly mad antagonist who keeps Stormy off balance for much of the book. Me, too, since I literally didn't know what would happen next for the whole book. Will definitely reread this one.
October 31, 2012
This is one story that could have been better with some fleshing out of characters and plot. Stormy was really funny and I loved her sense of humor. Her brother, Bacon Frogs (yes that is his name) was incredibly naive but didn't really have much of a presence...not enough to get a feel for his character at all. And there were hints about Lord Leister but again not really enough to like or dislike his character.
I loved the concept of the story and enjoyed reading it but I felt the romance was a bit flat and rushed (but in 83 pages what can you really expect). I did feel the connection between Stormy and Leister but there really wasn't any time to feel the love - so to speak - between them.
I really liked Bell's writing style and will certainly keep my eyes open for future endeavors.
I loved the concept of the story and enjoyed reading it but I felt the romance was a bit flat and rushed (but in 83 pages what can you really expect). I did feel the connection between Stormy and Leister but there really wasn't any time to feel the love - so to speak - between them.
I really liked Bell's writing style and will certainly keep my eyes open for future endeavors.
May 2, 2011
Frankly, I'm not that a fan of steampunk per say.., but to my own perpetual surprise, I fell in love with Stormy :) Gosh.. it was superb!!! And if steampunks are like this, I think I'll blow my own theory out of the water and devour those!
Hoping to see more of Christine's steampunks!
Hoping to see more of Christine's steampunks!
September 6, 2011
An easy, quick read, it was ok, but I was expecting more steam-punk and it was really just time-travel. Maybe just a case of mistaken expectations...
September 16, 2018
This was a short book - novella length. It was okay, but it felt random and all over the place to me. The plot seemed to jump from one thing to another without a structure or overall approach.
I liked Stormy, but the world and the events surrounding her just didn't work for me and I did not finish the book.
I liked Stormy, but the world and the events surrounding her just didn't work for me and I did not finish the book.
May 5, 2018
It was ok. Had a hard time with the narrator.
July 1, 2021
3.5 stars.... just a we were getting started, it ended!
July 3, 2012
Stormy and her brother Bacon are time travellers, using a gadget created by the brilliant scientist who adopted them both as children to "fix" moments in time. Ever since their pseudo-father's death, the two of them have had to be very careful to safeguard the technology from falling into the wrong hands. In a drunken fit of carelessness, however, Bacon lost his gadget to the Loony Duke of Leister and now Stormy has to go back in time to clean up her brother's mess.
She expects the mission to be a quick and easy one. Get in, find the duke, figure out where he's stashed the time travel gadget, and head back to the comforts of the 21st century. She wasn't expecting him to be so... hot. Everything about him just feels right to her, but she can't get caught up in the loony duke. There's no space for anything more than an occasional tryst in her time traveller's life, since anything more would mean a lot of questions she can't afford to answer. Matters get even more complicated when the duke figures out what she's up to and turns the tables on her, proving himself to be a match for her mentally in addition to the intense attraction between them and making it even more difficult for Stormy to keep her mind on her mission.
There are a number of anachronisms in the story, (the majority of it is set in the Victorian era), but they come from Stormy herself, and I'm willing to cut some slack on that sort of thing when time travel is involved. She describes herself as a modern girl at heart, and dislikes having to dress in period costume instead of staying comfortable in her jeans and sneakers, so when she thinks and speaks in modern terms I'll buy it. Should the people around her have more of a reaction to her anachronisms? Well, maybe. The story is so heavily centred on Stormy and her Duke, though, that there really isn't much place for outside reactions to be shown, even if the author had intended to do so.
As a general rule, I am fond of novellas. Long enough to fully flesh out a character, but short enough to force really tight writing. I'm a firm believer in letting the story take up exactly as much space as it needs, and novellas are a nice option for authors trying to tell a story that maybe isn't complex enough to need 300 pages. In a romance, this generally means a novella-length tale focuses just on the developing relationship between the two people involved without worrying too much about adding in external conflict. And herein lies the biggest problem I had with The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale: this wasn't a novella, it was a condensed novel. The story was complex enough some squeezing had to be done in order to fit the word count, which is unfortunate because there was some good stuff going on when we didn't have to be distractingly abrupt.
The hero and heroine have chemistry and a past together, but it wasn't enough to make me believe they were madly in love. From their meeting to their professions of love, they've spent only a few hours together. While their interactions are great and I really did believe these two belonged with each other, I am still puzzled as to where these big life-changing emotions were coming from, especially on his part.
As far as things like prose and voice and character go, this is a very enjoyable book and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up something else by the same author. Hopefully, though, next time she'll show us what she can do with a longer wordcount, taking the space of a full-length novel to expand on her ideas, because they're very much worth expanding on.
She expects the mission to be a quick and easy one. Get in, find the duke, figure out where he's stashed the time travel gadget, and head back to the comforts of the 21st century. She wasn't expecting him to be so... hot. Everything about him just feels right to her, but she can't get caught up in the loony duke. There's no space for anything more than an occasional tryst in her time traveller's life, since anything more would mean a lot of questions she can't afford to answer. Matters get even more complicated when the duke figures out what she's up to and turns the tables on her, proving himself to be a match for her mentally in addition to the intense attraction between them and making it even more difficult for Stormy to keep her mind on her mission.
There are a number of anachronisms in the story, (the majority of it is set in the Victorian era), but they come from Stormy herself, and I'm willing to cut some slack on that sort of thing when time travel is involved. She describes herself as a modern girl at heart, and dislikes having to dress in period costume instead of staying comfortable in her jeans and sneakers, so when she thinks and speaks in modern terms I'll buy it. Should the people around her have more of a reaction to her anachronisms? Well, maybe. The story is so heavily centred on Stormy and her Duke, though, that there really isn't much place for outside reactions to be shown, even if the author had intended to do so.
As a general rule, I am fond of novellas. Long enough to fully flesh out a character, but short enough to force really tight writing. I'm a firm believer in letting the story take up exactly as much space as it needs, and novellas are a nice option for authors trying to tell a story that maybe isn't complex enough to need 300 pages. In a romance, this generally means a novella-length tale focuses just on the developing relationship between the two people involved without worrying too much about adding in external conflict. And herein lies the biggest problem I had with The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale: this wasn't a novella, it was a condensed novel. The story was complex enough some squeezing had to be done in order to fit the word count, which is unfortunate because there was some good stuff going on when we didn't have to be distractingly abrupt.
The hero and heroine have chemistry and a past together, but it wasn't enough to make me believe they were madly in love. From their meeting to their professions of love, they've spent only a few hours together. While their interactions are great and I really did believe these two belonged with each other, I am still puzzled as to where these big life-changing emotions were coming from, especially on his part.
As far as things like prose and voice and character go, this is a very enjoyable book and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up something else by the same author. Hopefully, though, next time she'll show us what she can do with a longer wordcount, taking the space of a full-length novel to expand on her ideas, because they're very much worth expanding on.
April 19, 2011
3 ½ Stars
This review is also published at http://thebookaholiccat.com
Stormy Gale was born in 1810 in London. Her childhood was lived begging in the streets along with other children. Until she had the fortune of meeting Gilly. He was a time traveler from the XXI century who took pity of her and her closest friend Bacon (Yes, that is his name) and offered them a better life with him in the future. They didn’t consider the offer twice and accepted. Gilly adopted and treated them as his own children. He also taught them the art of time traveling.
Now Stormy and Bacon are time-traveler pirates. Who go back in time to change little things that won’t affect the future and to acquire small artifacts to sell in ebay.
In one of those trips to the year 1936, Bacon lost his TTM (Time Traveler Mechanism). He lost it in a game of cards against the Loony Duke of Leister. Now they need to recover it. A TTM in the wrong hands could be disastrous.
They schemed a plan to trick the Duke and recover the TTM; but things don’t go according to plan and the trickster is the one surprisingly tricked.
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is a short story, with an original plot. It was also quiet entertaining. But it was a little bit off pace; the first part of the story moves in a nice pace while the last third felt rushed.
I loved the contrast shown from life in the XIX century to the commodities of the XXI. I think the author did a great job explaining these differences in the lives of Stormy and Bacon. And loved it even more when Stormy is explaining them to Devlin, especially the part about dog’s grooming, LOL.
Stormy is a great character; she is compelling, caring, loyal and funny. Bacon is a young man with a good heart, and a little bit too innocent. He is always getting in trouble or screwing up. And Stormy is always rescuing him from these circumstances. They are not blood siblings but they love each other as if they were. Life’s circumstances had tied them together more than blood could ever have.
Devlin, I don’t know what to say about him, we see glimpses of him but nothing to deep to really get an impression. Ok, he is a good man and has been since he was a child, but further than there is not much we know about him.
My final thought: The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is an entertaining story, with some good aspects and others no so good. As I said before I loved its original plot and I also loved the world created. But, yes there is a but here, and it’s with Devlin and the way things developed between him and Stormy, here is where I had some problems with the book. Devlin is an X person, we don’t know anything about him, who comes to Stormy life (again), they have a talk and suddenly they are in love… mmm… sorry, but no. I know The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is a short story, but this could have been done a lot better. It was too much, too fast. This doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoyed it, because I did, maybe if it was a little bit longer Mrs. Bell could have done it better, without rushing events at the end.
If you want a fast, entertaining, original story with a touch of Steampunk, The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is a good option for you.
I hope to see a longer sequel of this book.
This review is also published at http://thebookaholiccat.com
Stormy Gale was born in 1810 in London. Her childhood was lived begging in the streets along with other children. Until she had the fortune of meeting Gilly. He was a time traveler from the XXI century who took pity of her and her closest friend Bacon (Yes, that is his name) and offered them a better life with him in the future. They didn’t consider the offer twice and accepted. Gilly adopted and treated them as his own children. He also taught them the art of time traveling.
Now Stormy and Bacon are time-traveler pirates. Who go back in time to change little things that won’t affect the future and to acquire small artifacts to sell in ebay.
In one of those trips to the year 1936, Bacon lost his TTM (Time Traveler Mechanism). He lost it in a game of cards against the Loony Duke of Leister. Now they need to recover it. A TTM in the wrong hands could be disastrous.
They schemed a plan to trick the Duke and recover the TTM; but things don’t go according to plan and the trickster is the one surprisingly tricked.
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is a short story, with an original plot. It was also quiet entertaining. But it was a little bit off pace; the first part of the story moves in a nice pace while the last third felt rushed.
I loved the contrast shown from life in the XIX century to the commodities of the XXI. I think the author did a great job explaining these differences in the lives of Stormy and Bacon. And loved it even more when Stormy is explaining them to Devlin, especially the part about dog’s grooming, LOL.
Stormy is a great character; she is compelling, caring, loyal and funny. Bacon is a young man with a good heart, and a little bit too innocent. He is always getting in trouble or screwing up. And Stormy is always rescuing him from these circumstances. They are not blood siblings but they love each other as if they were. Life’s circumstances had tied them together more than blood could ever have.
Devlin, I don’t know what to say about him, we see glimpses of him but nothing to deep to really get an impression. Ok, he is a good man and has been since he was a child, but further than there is not much we know about him.
My final thought: The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is an entertaining story, with some good aspects and others no so good. As I said before I loved its original plot and I also loved the world created. But, yes there is a but here, and it’s with Devlin and the way things developed between him and Stormy, here is where I had some problems with the book. Devlin is an X person, we don’t know anything about him, who comes to Stormy life (again), they have a talk and suddenly they are in love… mmm… sorry, but no. I know The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is a short story, but this could have been done a lot better. It was too much, too fast. This doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoyed it, because I did, maybe if it was a little bit longer Mrs. Bell could have done it better, without rushing events at the end.
If you want a fast, entertaining, original story with a touch of Steampunk, The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is a good option for you.
I hope to see a longer sequel of this book.
April 2, 2011
I would once again like to thank NetGalley and Carina Press for the wonderful opportunity to read this story.
Stormy Gale is, what this book defines as, a time-pirate. It seems that she and her younger brother, Bacon, go about through time changing things here and there and also use this ability to take small trinkets, bring them back to the 21st century, and sell them on eBay. According to the book both Stormy and her brother were born to beggary in 1810 and by a stroke of luck become the time-traveling children of an inventor and spend the rest of their time in the 21st century.
The story begins with Stormy and Bacon going back to 19th century America where a few weeks earlier Bacon had lost his time-travel machine or TTM in a terribly played game of Whist. So it is up to Stormy to trick the winner into giving the TTM back or to steal it back herself. Along the way Stormy learns that the man she is after just happens to be the older version of the young nobleman who had been so kind to her and the other street children. Now Stormy is caught between doing the right thing by her surrogate father and falling her heart which appears to belong to Devlin the Duke of Leister, the young man from her past, who had spend the better part of his life trying to find out what had happened to her and her little brother.
I really liked the story. It has magnificent promise as does the author who wrote it. I liked the strong will and endurance of the main character and how she sincerely tried to stick to the promises she had made and how well she protected her little brother even though he was always getting into trouble. I also found Stormy really amusing. She always had something witty to say and I like how she incorporated terms and phrases from both the era to which she was born as well as the era which she found herself living in. I think the best part was in the epilogue when Stormy was describing how confused Devlin was when she would try to explain to him about things in the future like sweaters for dogs. I couldn't stop laughing.
On the other hand, I think the story could have been better. It was way too short in my opinion, therefore everything was hurried and the foundation of the characters and the history of them was sorely lacking. I'm not saying that the story was difficult to understand because it wasn't, but I do think that the characters' background was pretty shaky and made understanding the relationship between Devlin and Stormy difficult. I was a bit confused when their relationship went from captive and captor to lovers in about two seconds. If their background was better founded this wouldn't have seemed so unbelievable. It also would have made her pining for him easier to swallow.
Overall I liked the story and I believe that it along with the author have a very promising future. However, I think that this book could still use some work to make it more believable. Otherwise, well done.
Stormy Gale is, what this book defines as, a time-pirate. It seems that she and her younger brother, Bacon, go about through time changing things here and there and also use this ability to take small trinkets, bring them back to the 21st century, and sell them on eBay. According to the book both Stormy and her brother were born to beggary in 1810 and by a stroke of luck become the time-traveling children of an inventor and spend the rest of their time in the 21st century.
The story begins with Stormy and Bacon going back to 19th century America where a few weeks earlier Bacon had lost his time-travel machine or TTM in a terribly played game of Whist. So it is up to Stormy to trick the winner into giving the TTM back or to steal it back herself. Along the way Stormy learns that the man she is after just happens to be the older version of the young nobleman who had been so kind to her and the other street children. Now Stormy is caught between doing the right thing by her surrogate father and falling her heart which appears to belong to Devlin the Duke of Leister, the young man from her past, who had spend the better part of his life trying to find out what had happened to her and her little brother.
I really liked the story. It has magnificent promise as does the author who wrote it. I liked the strong will and endurance of the main character and how she sincerely tried to stick to the promises she had made and how well she protected her little brother even though he was always getting into trouble. I also found Stormy really amusing. She always had something witty to say and I like how she incorporated terms and phrases from both the era to which she was born as well as the era which she found herself living in. I think the best part was in the epilogue when Stormy was describing how confused Devlin was when she would try to explain to him about things in the future like sweaters for dogs. I couldn't stop laughing.
On the other hand, I think the story could have been better. It was way too short in my opinion, therefore everything was hurried and the foundation of the characters and the history of them was sorely lacking. I'm not saying that the story was difficult to understand because it wasn't, but I do think that the characters' background was pretty shaky and made understanding the relationship between Devlin and Stormy difficult. I was a bit confused when their relationship went from captive and captor to lovers in about two seconds. If their background was better founded this wouldn't have seemed so unbelievable. It also would have made her pining for him easier to swallow.
Overall I liked the story and I believe that it along with the author have a very promising future. However, I think that this book could still use some work to make it more believable. Otherwise, well done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2011
Review originally published at Red Adept Reviews.
I purchased The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale, by Christina Bell, from Amazon. The premise sounded great and I’ve been meaning to read steampunk. Steampunk, time travel, romance.
Overall: 4 1/2 stars.
Plot/Storyline: 4 ½ Stars
I had a really good time with this. I don’t think the description conveys how touching of a read this was – or how funny it was at moments. There was a lot of good story here for such a short book, though no time to delve deeply into any of it. I was content with the length, but the story, I believe, could have supported an interesting novel. Since there was a fair amount going on, the relationship had to progress fast. Still, better to write a novella that could have been a novel than a novel that wears out its welcome.
I thought the conflict here was great. Too often in books with a romantic element, the thing keeping them apart is … lame. Here, I really understood the dilemma. I liked the set-up quite a lot – not just the time travel aspect, but also how our self-assured heroine is blind-sided by something she simply didn’t foresee. (Although this is based, in part, on a rather large coincidence, I forgave.)
Part of the story involved the notorious Bedlam, and I realized I really would like to read more on the topic at some point.
Characters: 4 1/2 Stars
I really liked Stormy. She was a very strong and determined character and her voice was a strong one. The older I get, the more I love an intelligent heroine with more spice that sugar. I liked that she had a full and exciting life, a close relationship with her brother, and then the romance storyline kicks in.
I really liked the Duke of Leister as well. It can be difficult to make a hero a really good guy without making him seem weak, and the author did a nice job here. I can’t discuss the hero at greater length than that without spoilers, but his backstory touched me. Even though he was suspected of being a little crazy, there are worse guys you could bring home to mama.
While I understood Stormy’s brother – Bacon — was a secondary character, he really got short shrift and a little more with him would have been interesting. Maybe he’ll show up again somewhere down the road. Stormy and Bacon selected their own names while children. She picked hers because of a love of The Wizard of Oz. Bacon, being even younger and having known hunger, went with his love of Bacon and Frogs.
One character, Stormy’s benefactor, died before the book began, but with very few words the author conveyed beautifully how important he was to Stormy and her brother.
Writing Style: 4 3/4 Stars
Smooth prose. Nice pace. Engaging style. I will definitely read more from this author. All good things to say here. A smidge more magic, and it would have been a 5.
I purchased The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale, by Christina Bell, from Amazon. The premise sounded great and I’ve been meaning to read steampunk. Steampunk, time travel, romance.
Overall: 4 1/2 stars.
Plot/Storyline: 4 ½ Stars
I had a really good time with this. I don’t think the description conveys how touching of a read this was – or how funny it was at moments. There was a lot of good story here for such a short book, though no time to delve deeply into any of it. I was content with the length, but the story, I believe, could have supported an interesting novel. Since there was a fair amount going on, the relationship had to progress fast. Still, better to write a novella that could have been a novel than a novel that wears out its welcome.
I thought the conflict here was great. Too often in books with a romantic element, the thing keeping them apart is … lame. Here, I really understood the dilemma. I liked the set-up quite a lot – not just the time travel aspect, but also how our self-assured heroine is blind-sided by something she simply didn’t foresee. (Although this is based, in part, on a rather large coincidence, I forgave.)
Part of the story involved the notorious Bedlam, and I realized I really would like to read more on the topic at some point.
Characters: 4 1/2 Stars
I really liked Stormy. She was a very strong and determined character and her voice was a strong one. The older I get, the more I love an intelligent heroine with more spice that sugar. I liked that she had a full and exciting life, a close relationship with her brother, and then the romance storyline kicks in.
I really liked the Duke of Leister as well. It can be difficult to make a hero a really good guy without making him seem weak, and the author did a nice job here. I can’t discuss the hero at greater length than that without spoilers, but his backstory touched me. Even though he was suspected of being a little crazy, there are worse guys you could bring home to mama.
While I understood Stormy’s brother – Bacon — was a secondary character, he really got short shrift and a little more with him would have been interesting. Maybe he’ll show up again somewhere down the road. Stormy and Bacon selected their own names while children. She picked hers because of a love of The Wizard of Oz. Bacon, being even younger and having known hunger, went with his love of Bacon and Frogs.
One character, Stormy’s benefactor, died before the book began, but with very few words the author conveyed beautifully how important he was to Stormy and her brother.
Writing Style: 4 3/4 Stars
Smooth prose. Nice pace. Engaging style. I will definitely read more from this author. All good things to say here. A smidge more magic, and it would have been a 5.
April 8, 2011
ARC received from Carina Press
Synopsis -- I'm a time pirate-born in 1810, now a 21st-century woman. I travel through time trying to right wrongs without disrupting the fragile balance between what is and what can never be.
That's why it's vital that I go to 1836 and find the man who conned my brother out of his Time Travel Mechanism as quickly as possible. If the technology falls into the wrong hands, it could change the world as we know it. The notorious Duke of Leister definitely qualifies as the wrong hands. An amateur scientist of the slightly mad variety, he's bound to figure out how to use the TTM sooner rather than later.
I knew this wouldn't be easy. But I wasn't counting on him being as sexy as hell. Or winding up chained to his bed...
Pub Date: 04/25/2011
**Review** This is a science fiction story with a romantic twist. Dorothy “Stormy” Gale is a time pirate who was born in 1810, and was taken in by Professor Gilly when she was 13 years old. She is now a 21st century woman, who travels through time to right wrongs without disrupting the fragile balance between what is, and what can never be. She and her brother also collect valuable pieces that won't be missed by anyone. Stormy and her brother Bacon travel back in time to 1836, to retrieve a TTM (Time Travel Mechanism) that was lost by her brother in a game of whist. The person he lost it to is named Looney Duke of Leister.
What happens next is a comical road that leads to a revelation that Stormy and Looney have a past together, one that she nearly forgot after being in the future for the past 13 years, but which is revealed after she plays Madame Baptiste a sham for a fortune teller, who tries to drug Looney and take back the TTM.
We learn that Professor Gilbert Green, who 13 years before, took Stormy and Bacon off the street and adopted them as his own children, was a Scotsman, a scientist, and inventor and the creator of the TTM. Gilly in essence, saved Stormy and Bacon by giving them a chance at survival and a decent life. However, in the process, he also took Stormy away from the one person who she was meant to be; call it her soul mate if you like, Looney (Devin).
This is a very fast and entertaining read. Again, if you like science fiction stories, with definite romantic undertones by Stormy (Molly) and Looney, then you will enjoy this. The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is a novella at 83 pages long.
There's more to the story than just the time travel aspect, but I will not spoil the fun for anyone who is tempted to add this to their to be read listings.
Thank you to Netgalley.com and Carina Press for the access to this story.
Synopsis -- I'm a time pirate-born in 1810, now a 21st-century woman. I travel through time trying to right wrongs without disrupting the fragile balance between what is and what can never be.
That's why it's vital that I go to 1836 and find the man who conned my brother out of his Time Travel Mechanism as quickly as possible. If the technology falls into the wrong hands, it could change the world as we know it. The notorious Duke of Leister definitely qualifies as the wrong hands. An amateur scientist of the slightly mad variety, he's bound to figure out how to use the TTM sooner rather than later.
I knew this wouldn't be easy. But I wasn't counting on him being as sexy as hell. Or winding up chained to his bed...
Pub Date: 04/25/2011
**Review** This is a science fiction story with a romantic twist. Dorothy “Stormy” Gale is a time pirate who was born in 1810, and was taken in by Professor Gilly when she was 13 years old. She is now a 21st century woman, who travels through time to right wrongs without disrupting the fragile balance between what is, and what can never be. She and her brother also collect valuable pieces that won't be missed by anyone. Stormy and her brother Bacon travel back in time to 1836, to retrieve a TTM (Time Travel Mechanism) that was lost by her brother in a game of whist. The person he lost it to is named Looney Duke of Leister.
What happens next is a comical road that leads to a revelation that Stormy and Looney have a past together, one that she nearly forgot after being in the future for the past 13 years, but which is revealed after she plays Madame Baptiste a sham for a fortune teller, who tries to drug Looney and take back the TTM.
We learn that Professor Gilbert Green, who 13 years before, took Stormy and Bacon off the street and adopted them as his own children, was a Scotsman, a scientist, and inventor and the creator of the TTM. Gilly in essence, saved Stormy and Bacon by giving them a chance at survival and a decent life. However, in the process, he also took Stormy away from the one person who she was meant to be; call it her soul mate if you like, Looney (Devin).
This is a very fast and entertaining read. Again, if you like science fiction stories, with definite romantic undertones by Stormy (Molly) and Looney, then you will enjoy this. The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is a novella at 83 pages long.
There's more to the story than just the time travel aspect, but I will not spoil the fun for anyone who is tempted to add this to their to be read listings.
Thank you to Netgalley.com and Carina Press for the access to this story.
April 17, 2011
I love a good time travel story and even the novel’s title, The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale was intriguing so two things pointed me to try out Christine Bell's writing.
Stormy Gale is a time pirate, who travels through time and tries to make some things right. She was born in 1810 but now is a true 21st century woman, with only her closest family to know what is she doing in her free time. But she is careful not to mess up too much of that famous space-time continuum. So this is why she has to go to the 1830’s America where a Time Travel Mechanism has fallen to unsuspecting hands. To avoid that a mad scientist figure out how to use it and mess up history, Stormy and her brother come up with a plan to get it back before it is too late. But then turns out that the mad scientist is not what they were expecting and old memories came back to hunt her.
I really liked the whole setup and Stormy who is the narrator of this story. She was feisty and fun, modern and well aware of her limitations and had a clear sense where her loyalty should be. The author managed to sidestep all the traps that time-travel novel writers can get themselves into and delivered an enjoyable fast read. The time setup and the traveling was fun and really liked Stormy’s style of storytelling.
My problem was with the length of the novel and I didn’t know it was a novella, so I felt that this story and characters deserved a lot more pages. In the beginning everything seemed to go smoothly and I was a bit surprised to see how fast my Kinlde was eating up the percentages and then the storyline just switched into 5th gear and it was over in a second. I wanted to read more about Stormy’s other travels in time, about her stepfather and of course about Dev too. Their relationship was too quickly developed even if they had a common history the reunion and the end of the story left me feeling quite from satisfied.
All in all it was an enjoyable quick read with a great central character, but the relationship development and the ending was rushed I felt. The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale just needs a lot more detail and more time-travel adventure.
Stormy Gale is a time pirate, who travels through time and tries to make some things right. She was born in 1810 but now is a true 21st century woman, with only her closest family to know what is she doing in her free time. But she is careful not to mess up too much of that famous space-time continuum. So this is why she has to go to the 1830’s America where a Time Travel Mechanism has fallen to unsuspecting hands. To avoid that a mad scientist figure out how to use it and mess up history, Stormy and her brother come up with a plan to get it back before it is too late. But then turns out that the mad scientist is not what they were expecting and old memories came back to hunt her.
I really liked the whole setup and Stormy who is the narrator of this story. She was feisty and fun, modern and well aware of her limitations and had a clear sense where her loyalty should be. The author managed to sidestep all the traps that time-travel novel writers can get themselves into and delivered an enjoyable fast read. The time setup and the traveling was fun and really liked Stormy’s style of storytelling.
My problem was with the length of the novel and I didn’t know it was a novella, so I felt that this story and characters deserved a lot more pages. In the beginning everything seemed to go smoothly and I was a bit surprised to see how fast my Kinlde was eating up the percentages and then the storyline just switched into 5th gear and it was over in a second. I wanted to read more about Stormy’s other travels in time, about her stepfather and of course about Dev too. Their relationship was too quickly developed even if they had a common history the reunion and the end of the story left me feeling quite from satisfied.
All in all it was an enjoyable quick read with a great central character, but the relationship development and the ending was rushed I felt. The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale just needs a lot more detail and more time-travel adventure.
October 8, 2011
Originally posted on Joyfully Reviewed: http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/new-r...
Stormy Gale was born in 1810 and lives in the 21st century, but she’s not exactly vying for a world record on age. Stormy’s a time pirate and, with the aid of a Time Travel Mechanism her adoptive father made, she and her brother travel back and forth through time. But when her brother, Bacon, loses his TTM in a hand of cards, Stormy must travel to 1836 and face the man who won it from him. The Duke of Leister is rumored to be mad, but Stormy finds that the inventor is too clever for her own good. In the span of a day, not only does Leister have Bacon’s TTM, he has Stormy as well.
I’ll admit, I’m not one for time travel stories. But the title of The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale caught my eye and the description made me want to give the book a try. I’m so glad I did. Christine Bell has penned a funny, energetic romance that will make you smile and sigh. Stormy may have been born in the nineteenth century, but she’s a totally modern woman, complete with a dependence on Starbucks. She’s got spunk and likeability and it’s hard to resist her. And the duke? Hmmm…I’m not sure I want to say anything about him. Let’s just say the purportedly mad Duke of Leister has a few secrets you’ll love to uncover. He��s equally irresistible and can be oh-so-sexy when he wants to be. Stormy’s good-hearted brother Bacon rounds out the main cast. Bacon’s the kind of brother you love to read about, but would never want in real life. He makes mistakes that I’m sure would make even the most patient person smack themselves on the forehead, but what can I say? It’s part of his charm.
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is a delight to read (and re-read). It has a few steampunk elements for those who enjoy the genre, but I wouldn’t necessarily classify the story as steampunk. I adored The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Bell’s work.
Stormy Gale was born in 1810 and lives in the 21st century, but she’s not exactly vying for a world record on age. Stormy’s a time pirate and, with the aid of a Time Travel Mechanism her adoptive father made, she and her brother travel back and forth through time. But when her brother, Bacon, loses his TTM in a hand of cards, Stormy must travel to 1836 and face the man who won it from him. The Duke of Leister is rumored to be mad, but Stormy finds that the inventor is too clever for her own good. In the span of a day, not only does Leister have Bacon’s TTM, he has Stormy as well.
I’ll admit, I’m not one for time travel stories. But the title of The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale caught my eye and the description made me want to give the book a try. I’m so glad I did. Christine Bell has penned a funny, energetic romance that will make you smile and sigh. Stormy may have been born in the nineteenth century, but she’s a totally modern woman, complete with a dependence on Starbucks. She’s got spunk and likeability and it’s hard to resist her. And the duke? Hmmm…I’m not sure I want to say anything about him. Let’s just say the purportedly mad Duke of Leister has a few secrets you’ll love to uncover. He��s equally irresistible and can be oh-so-sexy when he wants to be. Stormy’s good-hearted brother Bacon rounds out the main cast. Bacon’s the kind of brother you love to read about, but would never want in real life. He makes mistakes that I’m sure would make even the most patient person smack themselves on the forehead, but what can I say? It’s part of his charm.
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is a delight to read (and re-read). It has a few steampunk elements for those who enjoy the genre, but I wouldn’t necessarily classify the story as steampunk. I adored The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Bell’s work.
April 30, 2011
*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley*
This book had me at "time-pirate". No, that's not true, it had me at the brilliant title. No, that's not true either, it had me the moment I saw the gorgeous cover. Somehow I just knew this novella would be good, and I was not disappointed. The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale was the most fun I have had reading a book all year.
The book is a mix of steampunk and time-travel romance, which I thought worked very well. Bell has described it as "steampunk light" because of the lighter tone. The humorous aspect was just right, making the story funny but not silly.
Stormy, or Dorothy (yep, after that Dorothy), is one of those characters I would love to have as a friend. Left to fend for herself on the streets of London when her mother abandoned her, Stormy is tough, brave and relies on her "steely time-pirate resolve". The story is written from her point of view, and Bell has given her a witty and no-nonsense voice. Her partner in crime, her younger brother Bacon, is endearing and innocent; constantly making mistakes, but still the eternal optimist. As for the Loony Duke... Well, he's not just a hot body (though he certainly is that too).
I love how the Victorian era and the 21st century come together through Stormy. Although she grew up in London in the early 1800s, she is now firmly a 21st century gal, and sees the past through modern eyes. Her references to modern pop culture are hilarious and had me giggling throughout the story. Star Trek, Batman and moonwalking – it's all there.
I was completely engrossed in this tale, alternately laughing out loud and fighting back tears, which is no mean feat for such a short story. My only complaint is just that: it was too short! There are so many elements to explore further, and I would have loved to spend more time with the characters and get to know them better. But I hear Christine Bell is working on a sequel that will be a full-length novel (sqee!), and I cannot wait to revisit the world of Stormy Gale.
This book had me at "time-pirate". No, that's not true, it had me at the brilliant title. No, that's not true either, it had me the moment I saw the gorgeous cover. Somehow I just knew this novella would be good, and I was not disappointed. The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale was the most fun I have had reading a book all year.
The book is a mix of steampunk and time-travel romance, which I thought worked very well. Bell has described it as "steampunk light" because of the lighter tone. The humorous aspect was just right, making the story funny but not silly.
Stormy, or Dorothy (yep, after that Dorothy), is one of those characters I would love to have as a friend. Left to fend for herself on the streets of London when her mother abandoned her, Stormy is tough, brave and relies on her "steely time-pirate resolve". The story is written from her point of view, and Bell has given her a witty and no-nonsense voice. Her partner in crime, her younger brother Bacon, is endearing and innocent; constantly making mistakes, but still the eternal optimist. As for the Loony Duke... Well, he's not just a hot body (though he certainly is that too).
I love how the Victorian era and the 21st century come together through Stormy. Although she grew up in London in the early 1800s, she is now firmly a 21st century gal, and sees the past through modern eyes. Her references to modern pop culture are hilarious and had me giggling throughout the story. Star Trek, Batman and moonwalking – it's all there.
I was completely engrossed in this tale, alternately laughing out loud and fighting back tears, which is no mean feat for such a short story. My only complaint is just that: it was too short! There are so many elements to explore further, and I would have loved to spend more time with the characters and get to know them better. But I hear Christine Bell is working on a sequel that will be a full-length novel (sqee!), and I cannot wait to revisit the world of Stormy Gale.
March 27, 2011
Reviewed at: Over A Cuppa Tea
Date reviewed: 24th March 2011
Review link: http://cleffairy.com/?p=5024
Love time traveling? Can’t get enough of hot, sexy pirates with a knack of getting themselves into trouble? Well then you might want to give The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell a try.
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell tells the tale of a young female pirate who travels through time. The story is highly original and is guaranteed to give you a shot of adrenaline rush each time you flip through the pages.
Overall, The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is a fantastic, breathtaking read. The only downside of this book is that it is too short for my liking. The length is half of those regular novels I usually hooked myself with.
It is a misfortune for me that the story had to ended so fast cuz I can’t get enough of The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended to those who loves sci-fi adventure kind of stories.
Book description:
I’m a time pirate-born in 1810, now a 21st-century woman. I travel through time trying to right wrongs without disrupting the fragile balance between what is and what can never be.
That’s why it’s vital that I go to 1836 and find the man who conned my brother out of his Time Travel Mechanism as quickly as possible. If the technology falls into the wrong hands, it could change the world as we know it. The notorious Duke of Leister definitely qualifies as the wrong hands. An amateur scientist of the slightly mad variety, he’s bound to figure out how to use the TTM sooner rather than later.
I knew this wouldn’t be easy. But I wasn’t counting on him being as sexy as hell. Or winding up chained to his bed…
I received an uncorrected proof of this book from Carina Press via Netgalley. I was not compensated in any ways for writing this review.
Date reviewed: 24th March 2011
Review link: http://cleffairy.com/?p=5024
Love time traveling? Can’t get enough of hot, sexy pirates with a knack of getting themselves into trouble? Well then you might want to give The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell a try.
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell tells the tale of a young female pirate who travels through time. The story is highly original and is guaranteed to give you a shot of adrenaline rush each time you flip through the pages.
Overall, The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is a fantastic, breathtaking read. The only downside of this book is that it is too short for my liking. The length is half of those regular novels I usually hooked myself with.
It is a misfortune for me that the story had to ended so fast cuz I can’t get enough of The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended to those who loves sci-fi adventure kind of stories.
Book description:
I’m a time pirate-born in 1810, now a 21st-century woman. I travel through time trying to right wrongs without disrupting the fragile balance between what is and what can never be.
That’s why it’s vital that I go to 1836 and find the man who conned my brother out of his Time Travel Mechanism as quickly as possible. If the technology falls into the wrong hands, it could change the world as we know it. The notorious Duke of Leister definitely qualifies as the wrong hands. An amateur scientist of the slightly mad variety, he’s bound to figure out how to use the TTM sooner rather than later.
I knew this wouldn’t be easy. But I wasn’t counting on him being as sexy as hell. Or winding up chained to his bed…
I received an uncorrected proof of this book from Carina Press via Netgalley. I was not compensated in any ways for writing this review.
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