As promised for my post on Friday, February 23rd, today I’m reviewing Morgan Brice’s latest audiobook release Peacemaker, book one in the Sharps & Springfield series, a m/m steampunk romance.
Title: Peacemaker
Series: Sharps & Springfield, book #1
Author: Morgan Brice
Genre: Steampunk MM romance
Tropes: Secret agents, co-workers to lovers, forced proximity, hurt/comfort, mistaken identity
Themes: Learning to love again, taking a chance on love
Release Date: February 20, 2024
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Narrator: John Solo
Length: 7 hours and 22 mins
Secret agents, forbidden love, danger, and magic!
Blurb: Supernatural Secret Service agents Owen Sharps and Calvin Springfield meet on the train to their new assignment in St. Louis, and sparks fly between them. But it’s 1897, and they need to be very careful—falling in love can be dangerous for men like them.
It’s their first case together, investigating mysterious disappearances—including the two agents who preceded them. Grim evidence leads them to look for a darker purpose. Old ghosts haunt the railroad line, zombie rise, signs point to ritual sacrifice, and they suspect someone is trying to open the gates of hell.
Can Calvin and Owen stop the mayhem, thwart the vampires, and find true love, or will everything go up in smoke?
Peacemaker is a high-stakes steampunk MM romance thrill ride filled with found family, paranormal Pinkertons, intrepid reporters, mysterious disappearances, nefarious land brokers, hellhounds, zombies, vengeful spirits, dark spells, absinthe magic, a ruthless vampire railroad baron and a love that won’t be denied.
Before Colt and Winchester, there was Sharps & Springfield!
Note: It is a standalone book and the first in a new series. It does not end on a cliffhanger.
Audio Buy Links:
Audible US | Audible UK | Audiobooks.com
Book Buy Links:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Nook | Kobo
****
This is my first time reviewing an audiobook, so I will break the review into two parts: the book and the narration.
As stated in the blurb, Calvin Springfield and Owen Sharps are secret agents, taking the train to their new assignment in St. Louis. The main characters are awesome. Both brave, both loyal, and both very smart. Owen is the medium and Calvin is the psychic. But they’re hiding a secret, and that secret is only natural in the year 1887. The chemistry between the two is red hot when they first check each other out on the train. Whereas Clavin is a street-tough from the mean streets of Boston, Owen is more eloquent, a true bookworm with a great sense of humour.
The secondary characters also stand out. I adored Winston (the witch and manservant to the duo), along with the lady helpers of Louisa, Ida, and Renetta. The book has the makings for a great TV series with this great cast of characters. Not only did Louise and Ida aid them, but they were also responsible for giving Calvin and Owen the trail they needed to start their investigation.
As for the mystery itself, this was well done. They go from clue to clue, hunting down who is attempting to open the gates of hell. The plot moved along at a great pace. Not too fast and not too slow. The same goes for the descriptions that made me feel as if I was running about St. Louis with Calvin and Owen. The historical aspects are bang-on. The author did her research on the dialogue, culture, and mindset of the people.
Then there are the supernatural characters who are also well-researched. Or maybe the author made most of this up? I don’t know. But bravo for great world-building. I also enjoyed how she used the plot and the dangers to get Owen and Calvin together as they continued to investigate. There are even moments of doubt, which I really liked, since they only met on the train, and the investigation happens over days.
As for the narrator, he did an awesome job bringing the story to life with his voice. Each character has a unique way of speaking you don’t require speech tags to figure out who is who. The narrator took the book and made it his own, giving the reader a great story to listen to. He didn’t talk too slowly or too fast. I never once had to go back and re-listen to anything. I simply laid back (I love reading in bed) and let him narrate.
The book is an awesome start to the series. The author is an excellent writer, very excellent, and really brought this story to life with her prose. Do yourself a favour and get a copy. You won’t be disappointed. Even better, let Jon Solo read it to you by purchasing the audiobook.
Maggie Blackbird 