The Seduction of Phaeton Black by Jillian Stone

Paranormal Investigator, Book 1

Synopsis:In the gaslit streets of Victorian London, phantoms rule the night, demons dance till dawn, and one supernatural detective dares to be seduced by the greatest power of all. . .  
He’s The Man With The Magic Touch
A master of deduction, seduction and other midnight maneuvers, Phaeton Black is Scotland Yard’s secret weapon against things that go bump in the night. His prodigious gifts as a paranormal investigator are as legendary as his skills as a lover, his weakness for wicked women as notorious as his affection for absinthe. But when he’s asked to hunt down a fanged femme fatale who drains her victims of blood, he walks right into the arms of the most dangerous woman he’s ever known. . .
She’s The Devilish Miss Jones
Pressing a knife to his throat–and demanding he make love to her–Miss America Jones uses Phaeton as a willing shield against the gang of pirates chasing her. As deadly as she is, with a derringer tucked in her garter, Miss Jones is not the vampiric killer he’s been staking out–but she may be just what Phaeton needs to crack the case. As the daughter of a Cajun witch, she possesses uncanny powers. As a fearless fighter, she can handle anything from Egyptian mummies to Jack the Ripper. But when an ancient evil is unleashed on the world, she could be his only salvation. . .or ultimate sacrifice.

review: I still haven’t read a lot of Steampunk books and I was therefore very curious to start this one. I confess I was expecting a big interesting investigation and a nice romance between our two protagonists. Yes, I had my great investigation, and even more than that! For the second aspect of the story, I was very surprised at first because I didn’t expect so many hot scenes but we get used to them as soon as we get to know the characters.
America is a young woman who finds herself thrown into the street overnight at the death of her father. Her possessions, some cargo vessels, stolen by pirates, deprive her of the money she could have. And when she meets Phaeton, a Scotland Yard investigator, a really intriguing man, she thinks he can help her to solve her problems. But this man is far from the gentleman she thinks he is. He is libertine, lives with a few prostitutes and doesn’t care about what the others think about him. But when America manages to have a job at his home as a housekeeper, her life is turned upside down. 
In addition of an investigation about people drained of their blood, we can approach the story of Jack The Ripper and even some notions about the Egyptian mythology. What more can I ask for? I confess it’s always for me a really good point, I love to discover more about these topics and I didn’t expect the introduction of these kinds of ideas. 
The America/Phaeton couple is a pleasure to follow all along the book. America is an idealistic woman who doesn’t really notice the cruelty around her but Phaeton will make her understand that the world is very different from what she first had thought. She will evolve with the chapters and Phaeton with her as well. Many responsibilities will fall suddenly on him without warning, and it will be difficult for him to deal with them. I really enjoyed their distant interactions that ultimately bring them closer. It’s also touching to see their complicity despite our hero tries to hide it.
It’s a good book with two great investigations that I really enjoyed. I really loved the characters and the world we have here, it’s the reason why I’m now very curious to see what Jillian stone will present us in the second novel.

9 thoughts on “The Seduction of Phaeton Black by Jillian Stone

  1. I’ve started to get used to steampunk with heavy romance elements (I LOVED The Iron Duke) so will definitely be having a closer look at this! Plus Egyptian elements and Jack the ripper – two favourite elements I love! 🙂

  2. Glad to see you enjoyed this book! I feel like Phaeton is a combination of Indiana Jones and Sherlock Holmes all wrapped up into a hot package! I love the chemistry between him and America. Great review!

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