Book Review: Claws and Contrivances by Stephanie Burgis

Claws and Contrivances
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Series: Regency Dragons (Book 2)
Publication: Self-Published (July 10, 2023)

Description: Passionate, idealistic Rose Tregarth may have been invited into her uncle's remote home in the heart of Wales as an act of kindness to a poor relation, but it doesn't take her long to realize that her newly-met family members are eccentric, creative, deeply lovable - and in need of all the help they can get. If the crumbling medieval walls of Gogodd Abbey aren't to collapse around their heads at any moment, someone will have to step up and take charge of the situation. Fortunately for all of them, Rose has never lacked in determination.

Add in more and more mysteriously appearing little dragons and a threatening new neighbor who could easily star as the villain in one of her aunt’s fabulous Gothic novels, and Rose is soon up to her ears in plots and schemes to save all the people and beasts she’s come to love…with the help of a sweet, baffled dragon scholar whom Rose has swept into a fake betrothal - for purely practical purposes, of course.

With her fierce, loyal heart, Rose is more than ready to take care of everyone around her, dragons and humans alike. However, it may take an act of true magic to clear her eyes to the future - and the gentleman - she desires for herself.

Claws and Contrivances is the second book in a series of standalone fantasy rom-coms that can be read in any order.

My Thoughts: After the deaths of their parents the three Tregarth sisters are farmed out to distant relatives who agree to take them in. This is the second daughter Rose's story. Rose is a passionate dreamer who is always coming up with some sort of plot. She has an intense desire to take care of others around her. Her new family in a falling down manor in Wales is no exception. 

Rose is finally coming out of the deep haze that has surrounded her since the unexpected deaths of her parents. She was heartbroken to learn that the imaginative, loving father she adored had invested all he could free up, including his daughters' dowries, into a fraudulent investment scheme. She is determined not to be such an impractical dreamer herself.

When she discovers a small dragon hidden in the buttery, she is determined to take care of it. In her quest to discover where the dragon came from, she meets Cornelius Aubrey who is a noted scholar of dragon lore and, in a scheme that could have been better thought out, tells the near neighbor she is going to visit that she is engaged to him. 

The neighbor is a blackhearted villain, which immediately attracts her drama-loving cousin Serena, who is smuggling and mistreating dragons. He is also taking advantage of his orphaned niece's inheritance and keeping her in ignorance about all of it. 

As Rose develops a scheme to save the dragons and the niece, Mr. Aubrey is right there with her since he is finding her more fascinating even than his study of dragons. But Rose is so used to putting everyone else first that she can't believe that he is falling in love with her. Nor can she believe that her love for him would be good for him.

This story was filled with wonderful characters. Her new family is filled with eccentrics from drama-loving Serena to cross-dressing Georgie to her gothic-novel writing "aunt" and her scholarly "uncle." The dragons are also well drawn characters with distinct personalities. 

I really enjoyed this romantic comedy and look forward to more. 

Favorite Quote:

"I am aware," he ground out, "that my memory for practicalities is not always the best. But surely -- surely! -- I would at least recall having proposed marriage to you at some point in our earlier conversations?"

"Oh, that!" Shaking her head, Rose relaxed back into her seat. "You've no need to worry, Mr. Aubrey, You haven't forgotten anything."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.