Review: A Trace of Copper by Anne Renwick

A Trace of Copper by Anne Renwick
(Elemental Steampunk Tales #1)
Steampunk, Fantasy, Romance
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Synopsis
A small Welsh village. An interrupted romance. A rogue frog on the loose threatening their future.

New recruit to the Queen’s agents, Dr. Piyali Mukherji is given a simple first assignment. Travel to the small Welsh village of Aberwyn and solve the mystery of a young woman’s blue skin lesion. A challenging task, for the alarming infection is unlike anything she’s seen before—and it’s spreading.

Evan Tredegar, the town’s pharmacist and the only man to ever capture her heart, knows more than he’s telling. Despite his efforts to push her away, her touch reawakens old desires. As more villagers fall victim to the strange disease, he’ll have no choice but to reveal his secrets, even if it means sacrificing his freedom.

Together they must move past broken promises, capture a rogue frog, and stop the infection before it spreads out of control.

What I thought
Trace of Copper is the first story in the Elemental Steampunk Tales series. This is a novella that takes place in Anne Renwick’s steampunk world. I read Tin Rose earlier this year and since I enjoyed that I decided to pick up this one.

I enjoyed the story but I went though this book feeling like I missed something. I have not yet read the actual novels that are in this world so I very well may have missed something. I am not sure who I am going to give the first novel in this series a chance before I make any decisions.

This story is a second chance romance, and I liked the story for what it was but the angst felt a little forced. I didn’t have the feelings that I normally do when there is angst. I think that I was mostly frustrated with Evan. If he would have been honest from the beginning instead of ignoring Piyali things would not have gotten so bad. Yes, I know then we would not have the story we do. If he was half as smart as the book claimed him to be then he should have reached out from the beginning instead of making them both miserable and risking the safety of the whole village.

I really did enjoy the story when I was reading it I just wanted to shake Even the entire time.

My Rating: /5