Title: Noble Metals
Author: L.A. Witt
Genre: Steampunk, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy provided via NetGalley
Published: July 14, 2014 by Riptide Publishing
Ever since Robert Belton gambled away the money to stake his claim in the Klondike gold fields, he’s been stranded in Seattle working as a prostitute. When an attractive customer needs help hauling provisions to the frozen north, Robert eagerly volunteers.
Dr. John Fauth is only searching for one thing, and it isn’t gold. He needs platinum for the prototypes of his revolutionary inventions, and if he doesn’t find it in the Klondike, his university career—and his research—is over.
Getting to the Klondike is a grueling, dangerous journey, and just hours after leaving Seattle, John and Robert find themselves in over their heads. John is carrying an invaluable device that his competitors will do anything to get their hands on. And as the cold nights and mutual desire pull John and Robert closer together, they discover that they have much more to lose than gold or platinum.
Reviewed By: J9
In A Nutshell: Likable leads in a simple but satisfying romance with a good setting and quest plot.
The Set Up: Robert is desperate to stop working as a prostitute and travel to the Klondike to try his fate at gold mining. His latest customer is the mysterious Dr. John Fauth who needs to get to the Klondike, not for gold but platinum to fuel his latest invention. Robert and John will start their dangerous journey as wary fellow travelers but desire will change that.
Why I Read This Book: I like steampunk in both MM and MF so read it whenever I can.
What I Liked: This is an interesting way to have dual first-person narrators and it worked for me. Robert tells most of the story as he’s the prostitute desperate to get out of the life and be his own person again. John tells his part through a journal he writes. I loved how these overlapped and think other readers will too.
The romance between John and Robert starts as that of literally a john and his prostitute so I enjoyed watching the relationship deepen. Robert and John learn to rely on each other for survival and in doing so, trust grows that they both need to really change their relationship. The sexual intimacy fits the emotional development which I always look for in romance.
What I Also Liked: I love the imagination of well written steampunk and I got it here. It didn’t overwhelm the story but added to it. The setting of the Alaskan journey with its perils balanced the steampunk machinery perfectly.
I also liked the epilogue which, for me, satisfactorily concluded Robert and John’s relationship while still allowing for future books.
What I Didn’t Like: I read a lot and I like a lot of books. This is one. There isn’t anything wrong with it but I also didn’t love it.
IMO: Fans of MM steampunk will enjoy Noble Metals as I did.
J9’s Rating:
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