• Romancing the Inventor

  • A Supernatural Society Novella
  • By: Gail Carriger
  • Narrated by: Emma Newman
  • Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (459 ratings)

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Romancing the Inventor  By  cover art

Romancing the Inventor

By: Gail Carriger
Narrated by: Emma Newman
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Publisher's summary

Narrated by the wonderful Emma Newman, this is Gail Carriger's first steampunk lesbian romance featuring a maid bent on seducing a brilliant cross-dressing scientist who's too brokenhearted to notice. Or is she?

Imogene Hale is a lowly parlor maid with a soul-crushing secret. Seeking solace, she takes work at a local hive, only to fall desperately in love with the amazing lady inventor the vampires are keeping in the potting shed. Genevieve Lefoux is heartsick, lonely, and French. With culture, class, and the lady herself set against the match, can Imogene and her duster overcome all odds and win Genevieve's heart, or will the vampires suck both of them dry?

This is a stand-alone LBGTQ sweet romance set in Gail Carriger's Parasolverse, full of class prejudice, elusive equations, and paranormal creatures taking tea.

Delicate sensibilities? This story contains women pleasing women and ladies who know what they want and pursue it, sometimes in exquisite detail.

Supernatural Society novellas can be consumed in any order. Look for surprise appearances from popular characters and the occasional strategic application of cognac.

©2016 Gail Carriger LLC (P)2017 Gail Carriger LLC

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What listeners say about Romancing the Inventor

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Entirely delightful f/f romance!

I love the way this author does romance. Intriguing characters, quirky and vivid turns of phrase (I particularly enjoyed "gertuding"), humor, and just enough detail in danger or dishabille to titillate and make the heart pound.

I am most pleased that my favorite hat making inventor finally has someone to love her properly. If you're already a fan of the other books in this universe then you will probably enjoy this bit of dandelion fluff quite as much as the rest. You'll definitely feel more warmly disposed toward a certain wicker chicken.

Warning: do not read if a couple ladies getting naked and lovingly frisky with each other makes you uncomfortable. Gail Carriger has many other books of a more heteronormative and less descriptive bent, if that's your fancy.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loose Ends

These books are steam punk adventure meets modern Jane Austen with vampires and werewolves. You’d think that was too genre-bending but it works for me. They also traverse the continuum between young adult, squeaky clean to mildly erotic. The author clearly states right up front that this particular novella is at the grownup end of that spectrum.

Of course it is! Like all good Jane Austen descendants, Ms. Carriger cannot let a character go unloved and Genevieve LaFou has a story line that stretches through all the books in this universe. She’s delightful and she deserves to find love. Not much happens in this book except that love story, but I am very glad I heard it. I wanted Genevieve to be happy.

One tiny annoyance (which apparently does not bother Ms. Carriger or Audible) is that every time they hire a new narrator, the character’s names and accents change. Since I don’t READ the books, just listen to them, it is distracting. Lord Akeldema is either “A-KEEL-da-ma” or “A-kill-DA-ma”, Biffy somehow acquires an Italian accent and stops being an adorable, classic dandy. In this book Genevieve’s son is no longer “Kee-NEL” but “JEE-nel”. And nobody has a Scottish accent. The first few chapters are always confusing until I get used to meeting my favorite characters in their new guises.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A voice like silk.

I've been an avid fan of all things Parasol since I was given the first Parasol Protectorate novel years ago. I'm overjoyed to see LGBT themes in her novels, and now, with this story a fantastic f/f story.
When listening to an audio book, the narrator is so important. I've heard books that were good, but the narrator was not and it ruined the experience.
This narrator was prefect! Her voice was soothing and silken. I could listen to her read almost anything.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyed story

The narrator was ok. I wish someone would go over names with each reader so that there is consistency between series.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it!

I really enjoyed this book. Its about one of my favorite characters in the Parasol universe, and I loved to meet her again.
This is a romance book, and I loved the story and the drama. It is also really really funny, as is all Gail Carrigers book.
Emma Newman did a wonderful job, and she is always a pleasure to listen too. Loved the French accent!!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

At the very least say the names correctly

It is immensely hard to listen to these books that are supposed to be in the same universe and yet the narrator says the names completely different than the rest of the previous narrators. It's grating. I can't countenance how these narrators were allowed to record and be published while butchering names. Do they not listen to the previous books at all? This seems extremely lazy and detracts from the story.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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I love listening to French accents!

Even if it's fake, she sounds so silky! Most books would have a side character have such an amusing accent, but a main character in a romance novella with the accent of the language of love? I can listen to this for hours! Emma Newman can really pull it off and the storyline is just great! Definitely worth it for me.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A beautiful love story

This story has werewolves, vampires, math and two women falling in love. It’s clever, witty and charming. Listen to it, do

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Greater the second time around!

I knew I loved the story already, this being my second time going through it. But the reader's performance made the story coming alive in entirely different way! Both my interpretation reading it and her vocal presence reciting it created two wonderfully unique experiences, each great in its own way. The romance was sweet, Imogene really shined through Emma this time around just as strongly, and Genevieve's charms showed through just as well. Another job well done!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • M
  • 05-01-23

Meh

Nothing particularly special. Love me some Genevieve, but she was hardly her usual epic self. Felt like a thrown-together story to appease readers who wanted something more for Genevieve.

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