Sass and Steam Series by Catherine Stein

Things to remember when fleeing your own wedding: - mechanical serpents could lead you astray - accidental kidnappings always involve the former boy-next-door - sky pirates hold grudges - sometimes all love needs is a second chance - Happily Ever After. Guaranteed.Fleeing a wedding to a man she doesn't love, Euphemia "Effie" Werrington stows away on an airship, only to discover the ship's owner is the love who left her years before... moreThings to remember when fleeing your own wedding: - mechanical serpents could lead you astray - accidental kidnappings always involve the former boy-next-door - sky pirates hold grudges - sometimes all love needs is a second chance - Happily Ever After. Guaranteed.Fleeing a wedding to a man she doesn't love, Euphemia "Effie" Werrington stows away on an airship, only to discover the ship's owner is the love who left her years before.Charlie Wilson has been through a lot in the years since Effie's family sent him away, but despite his new piratical appearance, his heart remains as devoted as ever to the woman he left behind.Pirates roam the skies and an angry family is hot on their tail, but the road to true love is never without a few bumps. Let romance take flight!Love is in the Airship is a 10,000 word novelette set in the Sass and Steam world.Previously published as part of the Love in Bloom anthology. less

Football, mechanical dragons, industrial espionage, sexy romance. Welcome to fall in Ann Arbor. Eden Randall has her life under control. Sure, people call her weird for having a mechanical dragon with her at all times, but she’s content. All she needs are her studies and her sports—and for the football team to have another undefeated season. What she doesn’t need are nosy men from out-of-town poking into her business... moreFootball, mechanical dragons, industrial espionage, sexy romance. Welcome to fall in Ann Arbor. Eden Randall has her life under control. Sure, people call her weird for having a mechanical dragon with her at all times, but she’s content. All she needs are her studies and her sports—and for the football team to have another undefeated season. What she doesn’t need are nosy men from out-of-town poking into her business. Spending months in a tiny town shadowing the football team is the last thing Boston reporter Bruce Caldwell wants to do, but the tedious job could be his ticket to something bigger and better. When he meets a sports-mad spitfire on the sidelines, he realizes the town may hold stories far more interesting than he expected. With dragons running loose in the laboratory and a ruthless New York industrialist threatening their budding friendship, Eden and Bruce find themselves players in a game far more dangerous than the one on the gridiron. Never ones to quit, they know the only way to emerge as The Victors is to become a team. This football season, winning might mean losing their hearts. less

One thousand ladies want his attention. He only wants one. Too bad he doesn’t know her name. Eschewing his privileged life as heir to an automaton empire, William Ashton, Jr. spends his days diving into research and pining for the young woman who frequents his branch of the NYPL. Until one careless word from his mother leaves him with every Knickerbocker princess and penniless chambermaid eager to become his date for the biggest New Year’s Gala in Manhattan... moreOne thousand ladies want his attention. He only wants one. Too bad he doesn’t know her name. Eschewing his privileged life as heir to an automaton empire, William Ashton, Jr. spends his days diving into research and pining for the young woman who frequents his branch of the NYPL. Until one careless word from his mother leaves him with every Knickerbocker princess and penniless chambermaid eager to become his date for the biggest New Year’s Gala in Manhattan. Maddie Peters has long admired sweet and shy librarian Will Ashton, but his family’s position in high society means anything more than friendship is a fantasy. When a letter arrives to say that Will has invited her to his mother’s exclusive party, Maddie is flabbergasted. She’s sure it’s a mistake, but she’s not one to waste the opportunity to woo him. Angry neighbors, meddling guardians, and rampaging mechanical dragons all threaten Will and Maddie’s chance at holiday romance. But when the clock strikes midnight, these two lovers might find they have what it takes to wind up in each other’s arms. less

The best shot of these Olympic Games is coming from Cupid’s bow.Competitive archer Cora Maxwell will let nothing stop her quest to compete at the 1904 Olympic Games. Not even a devastating injury to her arm. With the help of a mechanical device known as the Electro-Flex, Cora has worked her way back to top form—and she’s found a long-distance friend in the machine’s inventor. She’s ready to shoot for gold and she’s thrilled to have a fan to cheer her on... moreThe best shot of these Olympic Games is coming from Cupid’s bow.Competitive archer Cora Maxwell will let nothing stop her quest to compete at the 1904 Olympic Games. Not even a devastating injury to her arm. With the help of a mechanical device known as the Electro-Flex, Cora has worked her way back to top form—and she’s found a long-distance friend in the machine’s inventor. She’s ready to shoot for gold and she’s thrilled to have a fan to cheer her on.Inventor Adam Levett harbors a secret love for his athletic friend, but he values their friendship too highly to risk revealing his feelings. When they meet in person for the World’s Fair and the Olympics, he plans to cheer her to victory, but he won’t allow himself to hope for more. Until a searing kiss makes him suspect the attraction might not be as one-sided as he’d believed.As the days tick down to Cora’s competition, strange disturbances at the Fair threaten both Adam’s career and her Olympic dream—as well as their evolving relationship. But these friends are no quitters, and together they square off against rogue dragons, electrical mishaps, and vicious competitors. Because in these Games, only true loyalty can win the heart of a champion. less

He'll pay any price to win her. But her artist's heart is not for sale.Raised in a squalid factory, Evan Tagget has battled his way to the top. Now a multi-millionaire, he runs a global empire of telecommunication devices, mechanical dragons, and clockwork gadgets. Evan can buy anything he wants. Except the love of the brazen artist that barges into his life... moreHe'll pay any price to win her. But her artist's heart is not for sale.Raised in a squalid factory, Evan Tagget has battled his way to the top. Now a multi-millionaire, he runs a global empire of telecommunication devices, mechanical dragons, and clockwork gadgets. Evan can buy anything he wants. Except the love of the brazen artist that barges into his life.Violet Dayton has made her living painting forgeries, scrimping and saving toward her true passion: a grand Paris art exhibition to display her work and the art of the friends who have always looked out for her. But a corrupt police inspector knows her secrets, and the only way to escape his clutches is to track down the master art thief plaguing museums across Europe.With the aid of Evan's money and connections, Violet knows she can catch her thief, but she hadn't counted on her powerful attraction to the arrogant millionaire, or the complex, passionate layers beneath his cool exterior. With enemies everywhere, she'll have to trust Evan with her life. Her heart, though, she guards closely, and the only way he'll ever win it is to prove that he knows the true value of love. less

Airship pirates, mysterious inventions, and a treasure beyond compare? All in a duke’s work.Chicago scrap metal mogul Clifford Kinsley has never encountered an obstacle he couldn’t dismantle. Until he inherits a dukedom burdened with mountains of debt, stifling rules, and people who want to ship his seven-year-old daughter off to boarding school. He’s stuck with the title for life. Which leaves only one solution: kill the duke. And for that, he’ll need the assistance of a professional... moreAirship pirates, mysterious inventions, and a treasure beyond compare? All in a duke’s work.Chicago scrap metal mogul Clifford Kinsley has never encountered an obstacle he couldn’t dismantle. Until he inherits a dukedom burdened with mountains of debt, stifling rules, and people who want to ship his seven-year-old daughter off to boarding school. He’s stuck with the title for life. Which leaves only one solution: kill the duke. And for that, he’ll need the assistance of a professional.Sabine Diebin, the infamous pirate captain La Capitaine, has one final treasure to find before she settles down to a well-deserved retirement. Unfortunately, the key to finding her prize is buried somewhere in the mess left behind by the late Duke of Hartleigh. To speed up her search, Sabine makes a deal with the oddly charming new duke-next-door. If he sorts through her clutter, she’ll help him disappear.Working together, Cliff and Sabine uncover a trail of clues that sends them on a world-wide search for a potentially life-changing device. With their combined skills, they can dodge murderous enemies and unravel baffling messages, but they can’t deny their growing bond or the desire sparking between them. Pirates don’t have partners. But if they dare to open their hearts, they might discover that the greatest treasures of all can’t be buried. less

When life is a broken wreck, it takes a special kind of doctor to put the pieces back together.Owen Cassidy’s life is in a shambles. His business is plagued by catastrophic malfunctions, a near-fatal attack has left him with a shoulder full of gears and wires, and the lady doctor who saved his life insists on bedrest over action. To make matters worse, she’s perpetually cheerful, utterly gorgeous, and entirely uninterested in him.Dr... moreWhen life is a broken wreck, it takes a special kind of doctor to put the pieces back together.Owen Cassidy’s life is in a shambles. His business is plagued by catastrophic malfunctions, a near-fatal attack has left him with a shoulder full of gears and wires, and the lady doctor who saved his life insists on bedrest over action. To make matters worse, she’s perpetually cheerful, utterly gorgeous, and entirely uninterested in him.Dr. Eleanor Taylor has no intention of letting an obstinate, uncooperative tycoon ruin her hard work. Nora’s never been swayed by a handsome face, so desire is the last thing she expects to complicate the situation. But when she and Owen begin to bond, amorous feelings she’s rarely experienced—and doesn’t know how to handle—spark to life.As Nora and Owen find themselves lost in a tangle of friendship and blazing passion, their enemy’s schemes become wilder and more dangerous. To escape with their lives and hearts intact, they’ll need all their wits, all their skills, and a relationship built on the deepest trust. less

The most dangerous pirate in the skies might be the one who steals your heart.Yvette Séverin has piracy in her blood. The only child of the vile Captain Redbeard, she has commandeered his name, his best smuggling routes, and a perfect airship. Now she’s determined to shove all her past failures aside and make herself the best possible captain. The new Captain Redbeard leaves no woman behind. If protecting her crew leads to kidnapping a prim and proper—and irresistible—psychologist… C’est la vie... moreThe most dangerous pirate in the skies might be the one who steals your heart.Yvette Séverin has piracy in her blood. The only child of the vile Captain Redbeard, she has commandeered his name, his best smuggling routes, and a perfect airship. Now she’s determined to shove all her past failures aside and make herself the best possible captain. The new Captain Redbeard leaves no woman behind. If protecting her crew leads to kidnapping a prim and proper—and irresistible—psychologist… C’est la vie.The last thing Catalina Navarro needs is an alluring and chaotic pirate upending her orderly life. The offer to join Redbeard’s crew of unconventional women is tempting, but Lina will only accept under her own terms: It’s a job, and it’s only for a few months. When her attraction to the pirate captain swells into something undeniable, Lina lays down the rules again: The affair will be casual, private, and temporary.But when mechanical monsters attack the pirates and threaten civilians, Yvette and Lina will be flung headlong into an ocean-spanning whirlwind of danger and intrigue. With enemies on their heels, they must rely on old friends, new crewmates, and on one another. Teamwork means time together, and soon Yvette and Lina will question both their intimate arrangement and their long-held beliefs. Saving the world won’t be easy. But it might be possible if the captain and her mate can open their hearts and fight side-by-side. less