Book Review: The Watchmaker's Daughter by C.J. Archer

Goodreads Summary: India Steele is desperate. Her father is dead, her fiancé took her inheritance, and no one will employ her, despite years working for her watchmaker father. Indeed, the other London watchmakers seem frightened of her. Alone, poor, and at the end of her tether, India takes employment with the only person who'll accept her - an enigmatic and mysterious man from America. A man who possesses a strange watch that rejuvenates him when he's ill.
Matthew Glass must find a particular watchmaker, but he won't tell India why any old one won't do. Nor will he tell her what he does back home, and how he can afford to stay in a house in one of London's best streets. So when she reads about an American outlaw known as the Dark Rider arriving in England, she suspects Mr. Glass is the fugitive. When danger comes to their door, she's certain of it. But if she notifies the authorities, she'll find herself unemployed and homeless again - and she will have betrayed the man who saved her life.

With a cast of quirky characters, an intriguing mystery, and a dash of romance, THE WATCHMAKER'S DAUGHTER is the start of a thrilling new historical fantasy series from the author of the bestselling Ministry of Curiosities, Freak House, and Emily Chambers Spirit Medium books.
Goodreads Rating: 3.91 stars with nearly 11,000 ratings
Genre Listing: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Magic
Goodreads Challenge: 7/60
2020 Reading Challenge: #1 Read a book that starts with a "W" (Find the full challenge here)

Book Review:

I was pleasantly surprised by The Watchmaker's Daughter by C.J. Archer. The story follows India Steele in the aftermath of her father dying and her Fiance leaving her (not before he steals her inheritance, however). The 27-year-old spinster is understandably mad and goes to give her ex a piece of her mind. Enter Mr. Glass who finds her and has a peculiar business proposition for her. With nowhere else to turn and no other options, India accepts and finds herself caught up in Mr. Glass's potentially criminal world.

This book reminded me a lot of the Penny Green series by Emily Organ, which is one of my favorite series. It's set in London, presumably in the Victorian age, and there's a mystery to solve. It's really easy to get into. India is relatable and a little sassy when she needs to be. I thought Mr. Glass was a bit of a rouge, but I liked him and his group of misfits. It's a quick read with just under 300 pages, which tends to be my go-to length of a book.

The mystery in the story is who is the Dark Rider, which I thought was an interesting concept. Instead of being based on a crime that's in the book, it's an identity that follows a set of characters. I wasn't really surprised by who ends up being the Dark Rider. I thought that was fairly predictable, but it didn't really ruin the story for me. I still enjoyed it quite a bit. So much so where I grabbed the second book as soon as I finished The Watchmaker's Daughter. Magic didn't have a huge part in the initial story. It wasn't really known to India until the end. I'm curious to see how the series goes now that she's aware of magic. So far I like the idea of it being tied to an object or skill.

I don't really have anything to critique on this one. It grabbed my attention early on and never really lost it. I liked the characters and the storyline. I thought it was an interesting concept and I'm curious to read more.

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