Kiss of the spindle

No matter how hard Doctor Isla Cooper tries, she cannot stop herself from falling into a death-like sleep at midnight. When she realizes her condition will develop into a permanent coma within weeks, she blackmails her way onto Daniel Pickett's Caribbean-bound airship to hunt down the witch who cursed her. An empath who specializes in supporting shifters (people who transform into animals during the full moon), Isla realizes Daniel is illegally carting three such shifters out of the country. Vivacious and charming, she befriends them easily, and the handsome, reserved Daniel though miffed at the way Isla bullied herself onboard also finds himself drawn to her warmth and spirit. In Allen's imaginative adaptation of the famed fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, tensions fly as high as the airship itself as Isla and Daniel explore their attraction while protecting the shifters' secrets, and their own. As in Beauty and the Clockwork Beast (2016), Allen crafts a witty romance set against an exciting steampunk backdrop, capitalizing on both the sweet appeal of a Victorian romance and the adventure of a light fantasy.--Hyzy, Biz Copyright 2018 Booklist

Allen (Beauty and the Clockwork Beast) delivers pure reading joy in a steampunk riff on "Sleeping Beauty" that is equal parts race-against-the-clock adventure, social comedy of errors, sweet romance, and clever alternate history, with a strong moral compass befitting its fairytale heritage. Isla Cooper, a kind and empathetic physician and advocate for peaceful shape-shifters (and a hunter of criminal ones), negotiates passage on the private airship of wealthy, dashing Capt. Daniel Pickett, who smuggles shifters to the Caribbean. She has a sleeping sickness that plagues her for six hours a day; the voyage is her last hope of obtaining a cure before she falls permanently asleep. The charismatic and delightfully developed other passengers-the automaton servant who's part Data and part Jeeves, the shape-shifting older English intellectuals sadly leaving home, the antagonistic government official with an awkward secret-come together to support Isla in the tricky work of solving her problem, while Daniel starts looking like a good candidate to deliver the fabled curative kiss. Allen turns Sleeping Beauty's passive story upside down with Isla's active competence and frustration with how the curse interferes with her work; fans of strong heroines will be deeply satisfied. Agents: Bob DiForio and Pam Victorio, D4EO Literary. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

"Captain," Isla called, grateful for the relative seclusion behind the ship. He turned and she reached his side, hating that she was slightly breathless and knowing it wasn't because she was winded from the brief run. Isla Cooper faced down dangerous predators on a regular basis. She would not be intimidated by one bad-tempered man. He frowned, and her breath caught in her throat. Oh, dear. Evidently the photos she'd seen had come criminally far from doing him justice. Even frowning, his face and form spoke to an element of feminine approval within that she usually had little time for. "Yes?" he prompted. She exhaled. "I need to join you on this voyage. Money is no issue; I am prepared to pay twice the usual fare." "This is not a commercial flight, miss." He turned away and she grasped his arm. He looked at her in some surprise, which turned quickly to incredulity and then something she decided she'd rather not decipher. Isla tightened her grip on his bicep, noting the very human feel of the very not-human limb. "I must get to Port Lucy. Immediately." He pulled away but she held tight. "There is a commercial flight bound for New Orleans, and a connecting ship to Port Lucy in six weeks." "I do not have six weeks, sir. Furthermore, I am a natural empath and a Doctor of Shifter Therapy and Human Relations. He stilled. "I do not see the relevance." "I believe you do." "What exactly are you implying, Miss...?" "Dr. Cooper. I am implying that with this particular cargo, you might benefit from my expertise." He pulled his arm roughly away from her with a scoff. He opened his pocket watch again. "If you'll excuse me, Dr. Cooper, I have an airship to fly." "Or perhaps Her Majesty's Cyborg Regulations Division would be interested to know that England's most prominent airship mogul is rather more than he appears to be." He stopped midstride and she swallowed. Her heart thumped, and she rather wished she were facing a beast with fangs; those she could usually tame. Mr. Pickett slowly returned. "I do not know what it is you  think  you know, lady, but you can take your threats and-" "Your arm, likely fusing into your pectoral," Isla said quietly and pointed from his bicep and up along to his chest. "Most forward, rational thinkers realize such implants have no bearing on one's ability to live a healthy life, run an empire. Government agencies are not always known for rational thinking, though, are they?" His jaw clenched visibly, and his nostrils flared. Isla forced her feet to remain firmly planted. "Turn around and walk away now, Dr. Cooper, and I'll do you the favor of forgetting this conversation occurred." Excerpted from Kiss of the Spindle by Nancy Campbel Allen All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.