Heartless by Gail Carriger

Heartless
(Parasol Protectorate Book #4)
by Gail Carriger

Genre: Paranormal Romance | Fantasy | Historic

Lady Alexia Maccon, soulless, is at it again, only this time the trouble is not her fault. When a mad ghost threatens the queen, Alexia is on the case, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband's past. Top that off with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement (shocking!), Madame Lefoux's latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines and Alexia barely has time to remember she happens to be eight months pregnant.

Will Alexia manage to determine who is trying to kill Queen Victoria before it is too late? Is it the vampires again or is there a traitor lurking about in wolf's clothing? And what, exactly, has taken up residence in Lord Akeldama's second best closet?

Through all of Lord Maccon's brooding manner, Professor Lyall's shocking revelations, Lord Akeldama's sweet talk, Felicity Loontwill's sisterly nagging, Madame Lefoux's odd experiments, and Mr. Rabiffano's (aka "Biffy") unsettling transformations, Alexia is about to pop due to the 'infant-inconvenience'. Plus, if she's is not using her "condition" to her advantage among her's husband's pack or having tea & sweets with her friend, Mrs. Ivy Tunstell, Alexia is out collecting spectral samples, investigating Kingair assassination attempts, and jaunting about on BUR business with her trusty "harmonic auditor resonance disruptor" (pg. 74) Yet, can this 'Alpha Female' handle a supernatural death treat thrown into the mix with all the daily chaos already going on in her life full of Westminster Hive and Woolsey Pack troubles?

Lady Alexia Maccon is at it again. . . being her usual nutty, obsessive, and constantly-on-the-go self but now eight months pregnant. She's back in London and spending lots of time with her yummy Alpha husband, something I sorely missed in the last couple of books. Expect lots of silly scientific references and proper Victorian-era mannerisms that really spice up Carriger's Protectorate's world as well as getting a glimpse of the newest member to the Woosley pack near the end of the book. Plus, many past characters make appearances throughout the tale and many past stories are revealed from more than one pivotal figure. Overall, good fun!

Likes: Alexia has really grown into her role as 'Alpha Female' in commanding the pack as well as being a loving wife to Connall, something that's sweet to see since witnessing her less-than-confident spinster self from Book #1

Dislikes: Ugh....Lord Akeldama PLEASE lay off some of those nick-name endearments, it's almost too sickeningly sweet!

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