In Nefertiti’s Heart by A.W. Exley, a steamy steampunk romantic adventure, a bold heroine with a traumatic past begins her search for unique and possibly dangerous artifacts once belonging to her father, her path crossing frequently with a daring Viscount who’s interested in the same artifacts and confusingly persistent in his personal pursuit of her as well.

I loved this book. I was already a bit of a fan of Exley’s work after having read Obsidian Eyes and loving how detailed the author’s descriptions were, something I really enjoy in steampunk novels. The trend continues in Nefertiti’s Heart with meticulous detail given to fantastical mechanical items and gorgeous steampunk outfits, really painting an intricate picture for readers. The book does start out kind of slow and a little wordy as the author introduces you to the main characters’ motivations and the steampunk, alternative Victorian setting, but starts to pick up around the middle and ends strong.

There isn’t a whole lot of action in this book; most of Cara’s search for Nefertiti’s Heart is the scholarly kind, utilizing books and journals. There’s some side jobs she engages in, but there’s not anymore action to be found there either – all the action really takes place in the climax of the book. There are, however, a few gruesome murders viewed through the eyes of the killer, so there is some blood and gore.

The romantic plotline reads very much like your classic romance novel with a plucky heroine and a dashing man and some seriously spicy scenes as the two can’t resist each other – there’s even a heaving bosom thrown in there and everything.

I’m going to throw out a trigger warning here since it plays such a huge role in the plot of the book. Cara is a rape survivor and her past trauma plays heavily into how she reacts and interacts with the world at large, society, and her love interest. She has flashbacks and has trouble with intimacy, something she and her Viscount deal with together. It’s all handled very well, but I just wanted readers to be aware that it plays a major role throughout the whole book; it’s not something that can really be skipped or skimmed over.

Overall, Nefertiti’s Heart is a very promising beginning to the Artifact Hunter’s series and I’d love to read the rest of the books. The romance, steampunk, and vaguely mystical aspects of the book all work together very well and the bold, courageous Cara makes for a fantastic and interesting main character to follow.