Kid Gloves by Anna Martin

KidGlovesLGTitle: Kid Gloves     

Author: Anna Martin     

Genre: Steampunk, Historical     

Length: Novella (96pgs)     

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (11th September 2013)     

Heat Level: Moderate – Explicit     

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥3½ – 4 Hearts    

Reviewer: Pixie     

Blurb: Alone in his East London shop, a man known only as Dalton makes living prosthetics: bionic, mechanical limbs, from leather, metal, and magic. It’s to this little corner of the capital that Finn Croucher, an elite army marksman, travels after an accident leads to his hand being amputated. 

While Dalton fashions Finn’s new hand and teaches him how to use it, he reveals some secrets long hidden, and he and Finn become lovers. But Finn must return to duty, and a string of letters becomes his only connection to the love he left in London.     

Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4177    

Review: Dalton and Finn meet when Finn visits Dalton’s shop for a mechanical hand to replace the one he lost during a battlefield accident. Dalton makes living prosthetics that react to the nerves in the remaining limb, while he creates a hand for Finn they become lovers. Finn still has time left to serve in the military but he swears he will be back.

This is a sweet story that brings two men together and brings love their way. Finn lost his hand in an accident and has traveled to Dalton’s shop on the recommendation of a friend, getting a new hand that works is all he wants so he can go back to fighting in the war. Dalton is a bit of a social pariah he creates limbs that can move as though the limb was never lost, when Finn walks through his door he quickly becomes enamored with the young man. Finn has never had a relationship with a man but Dalton introduces him to the delights of male love, but it is also Dalton’s kink that appeals to him. 

This story is quite sweet with Finn being the innocent introduced to male love and Dalton falling for the soldier and his love of women’s stockings. The relationship develops from a slight attraction between them with Dalton using their passion for each other as a way for Finn to fine tune his new hands movements, they fall for each other quickly and when Finn returns to war they exchange risqué letters (for the time) that could get them in trouble if discovered. The Steampunk aspect of the story fascinated me with the explanation of existing nerves working with the magnetic points of the prosthetics, the way that Finn is surprised that he still has feeling in the hand and the way that, with patience and practice, the hand will work like the real thing. 

I did enjoy this story and thought that Dalton and Finn made a fine couple, they seemed to both share the same type of need for someone else, and they were very indulgent in their kink, which was kinda sexy. Their coming together came suddenly after Finn discovers Dalton’s secret kink, because although you had an idea that Dalton was attracted to Finn you don’t really get that feeling from Finn at first. Their letters to each other made their feelings plain for each other and you pray that nothing will happen that stops Finn from returning to Dalton.

I recommend this to those who love historical Steampunk, first time love, slight kink, and a sweet story with a sexy ending.