This book is a hot mess. This book is definitely two books smacked together to make a weird sort of sandwich. It can't decide if it wants the plot to be about a woman regaining her company from pirates or about a mystical Egyptian vampire who is also Jack the Ripper. It's pretty goofy especially with the weird names and the weird plot contrivances. Half the time you forget that the two mains basically have ESP until it is convenient. This book makes more sense if you view the plot as being just a vehicle for the next erotic scene so that the two mains can figure out their relationship. I also like that the main heroine is black and it is treated pretty much as well as I think a white author can deal with this sort of thing within erotic fiction (I have low expectations in this area). There are some problems like I question the fact that she calls herself high yellow and uses mulatto instead of creole or quadroon (because that is what she is). High yellow would imply that she can pass for white, which the text shows is definitely not the case (although the cover states otherwise). There is also the fact that she is from Louisiana and talks like a Brit because she lived abroad but knows voodoo, but I took that to be one of this book's many illogical inconsistencies. There is also the fact that she gets raped by the hero (that is what she calls it in text, I am not inferring), which I cringed at because for a second I was like "wait, I didn't sign up for a 90s bodice ripper." Also this is not really steampunk get that out of your head right now. ( )

Unfortunately couldn't get past the first 50 pages -the main character annoyed me so much.

For me this book was just so-so, but I'm not quite sure I can put my finger on what it was that kept it from being a great book for me. I suppose I found the combination of the three story lines - romance (and I use that term loosely), pirates and supernatural - disparate enough to each distract from the other. While there was quite a bit to like about this book, it just felt too scattered for me to enjoy completely as one story. I would have liked to have seen the connection between Phaeton and Jason Exeter explored in more detail; the possibilities there intrigued me. I liked Phaeton's protector, Edvard the Sneaky too. And I was very disappointed that America Jones' abilities as a witch were completely ignored. I will also add that for anyone out there who is uncomfortable about romance that goes beyond innuendo, this book is most definitely not for you.

I'm not sure if I'm going to want to read the next book; I'll wait to see what other reviewers have to say before making up my mind. ( )

The bare plot held promise but everything felt so muddled and rushed. It really seemed like this was the second book of a series and everything was confusing because we didn't have enough backstory.

The writing was awkward but it did seem to improve as the book progressed - the beginning is littered with bad puns, and quite a few times the reader is left without knowing who exactly is being described or who said what exactly. But I suppose that's more the editor's fault than the writer's...

Also, most of the sex scenes were ridiculous, can anyone be expected to keep a straight face when the hero's cock is constantly referred to as "The Duke"? I mean, really?

I knew going in that this was paranormal romance steampunk, so I was ready for a lot, but suspension of disbelief only goes so far. I could accept the harpies, goddesses and gargoyles, but the Victorian England described fell very far from the mark. You can describe the mythical however you want it, but the real world, even if it's alternate history, needs more of a solid feel to it to pull the whole story together.

So... 2 stars for the concept, which could have been brilliant had it been well executed. ( )

The Seduction of Phaeton Black is a fun, intriguing romp through a paranormal/Steampunk universe set in Victorian London. ( )