Elle and her husband, Marsh, have been through a lot. Now that things seem to be a little safer, Elle is happily flying once more on her ships and Marsh is enjoying inventing, but the two aren't on the same page anymore. Marsh can't understand why Elle insists on flying alone, and Elle can't understand why Marsh can't understand. Their differences drive them to a fight that leaves them separated. By the time Elle comes back to apologize, Marsh has gone missing. She will soon discover that next time she sees him, his heart may be entirely be her's anymore.

A CLOCKWORK HEART by Liesel Schwarz is full of amazing steampunk and magical elements. I love how Schwarz crafts this amazing world with excellent imagery that makes you feel like you're right there with Elle. The dark, edgy feel to it is so engrossing, and it takes an incredible look at all things steampunk.

Though I love Elle's character with her spunky attitude and bravery, I often wanted to shake her at the beginning when her and Marsh are having difficulties. I love them as a couple, and I just couldn't wait for them to resolve their issues. The journey that Elle takes following their argument is exceptionally beautiful though, as she learns what it means to love someone for the long run and the tragedy of feeling that they may never be yours again. The ending certainly packs a punch with them, and I hope Schwarz answers all the burning questions behind it in the next book.

If you enjoy stories with an Oracle, danger, flying, and heartbreaking romance, A CLOCKWORK HEART is not a book to miss. As the sequel in a series, it isn't bad to read without reading the first, but to get the fullest picture, they are best read together.

Book Summary

FOR BETTER OR CURSE. That might as well have been the wedding vow of Elle Chance and her new husband, the ex-Warlock Hugh Marsh in the second book of this edgy new series that transforms elements of urban fantasy, historical adventure, and paranormal romance into storytelling magic.
 
As Elle devotes herself to her duties as the Oracle—who alone has the power to keep the dark designs of Shadow at bay—Marsh finds himself missing the excitement of his former life as a Warlock. So when Commissioner Willoughby of the London Metropolitan police seeks his help in solving a magical mystery, Marsh is only too happy to oblige. But in doing so, Marsh loses his heart . . . literally.
 
In place of the flesh-and-blood organ is a clockwork device—a device that makes Marsh a kind of zombie. Nor is he the only one. A plague of clockwork zombies is afflicting London, sowing panic and whispers of revolution. Now Elle must join forces with her husband’s old friend, the Nightwalker Loisa Beladodia, to track down Marsh’s heart and restore it to his chest before time runs out.