On My Kindle ~ Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer

/ Dora Hiers
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Nicole Renard returns home to Galveston, Texas, to find her father deathly ill. Though she loves him, Nicole’s father has always focused on what she’s not. Not male. Not married. Not able to run Renard Shipping.

Vowing to find a suitable husband to give her father the heir he desires before it’s too late, Nicole sets out with the Renard family’s greatest treasure as her dowry: the highly coveted Lafitte Dagger. But her father’s rivals come after the dagger, forcing a change in Nicole’s plans.

After a boiler explosion aboard the Louisiana nearly took his life, Darius Thornton has been a man obsessed. He will do anything to stop even one more steamship disaster. Even if it means letting a female secretary into his secluded world.

Nicole is determined not to let her odd employer scare her off with his explosive experiments, yet when respect and mutual attraction grow between them, a new fear arises. How can she acquire an heir for her father when her heart belongs to another? And when her father’s rivals discover her hiding place, will she have to choose between that love and her family’s legacy?


Sharing my thoughts:
A man of few words, Darius Thornton is all about numbers and ledgers, but a boiler explosion changes his priorities. Boiler research and experiments consume his time, so much that he rarely sleeps. People around town consider him crazy, and not a soul is willing to accept employment as his secretary. Until Nicole. 

Nicole Renard will do anything for her gravely ill father, including picking out an heir to assume the family shipping business although she’s perfectly capable of running it herself. When the Jenkins brothers derail her plan, intent on stealing the family heirloom, she escapes until she runs out of money. She needs a job, and the only one who will hire her is the crazy scientist.

“I believe, Miss Greyson, it’s customary for the employer to give the orders, not the employee.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, her brown eyes shooting sparks at him. “When one’s employer nearly blows himself up, he forfeits the right to give orders. At least for the rest of the day.”

Unique, well-crafted characters and a chemistry that sizzles from the pages lightened up some sections where the technical aspects of steamship boilers bogged a bit for me, but that’s probably because I’m not a huge history buff. I’m more into the romance, and Full Steam Ahead delivered! Their romantic journey might have been a short few days, but it seemed totally natural and organic. With a couple kisses leaning toward steamy, Full Steam Ahead was just the right “heat” level for me. 

Marred. Cracked. Broken. Yet for the first time Darius realized that what truly mattered was not that the pot was marred, but that it remained in the hand of the potter.

These sweet words reminded me that no matter how ugly life can get sometimes, God can take all my broken pieces and turn them into something beautiful. Fraught with danger, packed with passion, and weaved with a sweet message like this, reading Full Steam Ahead was a wonderful way to spend a few evenings.

Disclaimer: Sending a big thank you to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reviewing Full Steam Ahead and for the free copy I received in exchange for my fair and unbiased review. This opinion is my own, and I received no compensation.