Captain Victor Arrignton is forced to return to land, when his brother and sister in-law are killed in an accident. As the second son, Victor never expected to become the Earl but with a firm sense of duty, Victor attempts to establish a life at Black Heath and raise his niece Emma. Victor struggles with his new role, particularly trying to raise Emma to be a proper lady. as she seems for more interested in mathematics and science. than learning the traditional womanly skills of stitching, music. and dance. This task becomes that much more difficult when dirigible pilot Melody McKay. falls from the sky. after being shot down. Now. Victor finds himself struggling to bust up a smuggling ring and deal with the this difficult woman, who challenges the very idea of what it is to be a lady.

Dragons & Dirigibles is a novella, coming in at a scant 125 pages and is the story of Melody Mckay, sister to Connor of Cards & Caravans. Like all of the female love interests in this series, Melody is a very strong character. Melody knows her own mind and will not be told what to do. When Melody is found in a compromising position with Victor by Tom, Melody is adamant that Tom not interfere.
Melody came around Victor and laid a hand on his wait. "Thomas Aloysius Devere, never take that tone with me again. I am an adult and I make my own decisions. Does it look as if I'm here under duress?" She gestured at Victor's unbuttoned waistcoat.

Tom flushed. "No, of course not, but -"

"Do I need to tell Wink about this? Or Caro?" Melody tapped her foot.

Victor knew he should intervene, take control of the situation, but right now, he was too entranced by the fiery creature by his side who seemed to be handling things just fine on her own.

"Look, Mel. I'm sorry. But you know this is a bad idea." Tom looked u at the ceiling, as if requesting divine assistance. "Let's just all go upstairs and forget all about this."

Forget? Every second of this interlude would be branded into Victor's mind until the day he died.

"Just walk away, Tommy." Melody's voice lower instead of rising. "You're out of line and you know it. Leave now, if you place any value on my friendship."
Of course, Melody is another in a long line of gently used protagonists, while her love interest, Victor, is an experienced lover. This is yet another trope that is all too common in paranormal romance. In some ways, it undermines some of the strength that Melody has been given in this novel.

Aunt Julian also makes another appearance in this novel. She and her lover Maggie, who is absent, are the sole GLBT characters in this series. To date, I don't recall a book in which we actually see any real expressions of love between these two women. Aunt Julian though is responsible for the advances of women in the order, is still very much a token side character, who has not really been developed. She seems to pop in to remind us that she is a lesbian.

Dragons & Dirigibles seemed to sway a little off topic to continue the angst between Tom and Nell, two characters we met in the first book in the series. We were given a large obstacle as to why these two couldn't be together but I found it all a distraction and assume it's all part of a set up for the next book in the series. I was however thankful to finally read about Nell and not have her exotic beauty described yet again. That said, Cindy Spencer Pape continues to have a problem with race.

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Gaslight Chronicles continues to thrill.

The stories surrounding the marvellously rich group of people we know from the Gaslight Chronicles continue to be mined.
Melody McKay an airship engineer, pilot and member of the Order of the Round Table, is testing her dirigible's new engine design over the Devonshire coast when either the boiler or generator inexplicably explodes. She crashes into the parklands in front of Black Heath Manor. Fortunately the damage to her is minor, bruises and a sprained ankle. Her Scottish deerhound Birch (who has his own set of specially designed goggles--how cute and practical!) is fine too.
Captain Victor Arrington, the current Earl of Blackwell has returned from his first love, the sea, to take up the lordly reins and care for his niece Emma when his brother, the late Earl, and his sister-in-law are killed in an accident. He and Barnaby, his trusty ex shipmate now butler, are scouring the rocks looking for evidence of smugglers who have been plaguing the area. They have seen a large strange crab like apparatus climbing out of the water and disappearing into the rock face. Are the two connected?
Emma is an extremely intelligent and precocious ten year old. Victor is a gruff, loveable person, just with outmoded ideas about women. Although as Nell declares, 'There's a sense of strength about him. A woman would always feel safe with him nearby.'
Victor has little experience with children and thinks to train Emma to be a future lady of the manor (whatever that might mean), maybe ensconced in doing embroidery and good works! That plan was doomed before Melody arrived, and is doubly so when Emma sees what women can do. Emma was already nose deep in history and scientific tomes, bargaining with her uncle over against his wishes for her to read something more ladylike--a novel perhaps? Hmm! Somehow I think not!
Strange events come to pass and Victor and Melody pretend to be engaged to throw any informants for the smugglers off the scent. Victor, against his better judgement is attracted to Melody...and Melody?...Well?
Backup arrives in the form of Melody's foster siblings Tom Devere and Nell Hadrian along with Miss Dorothy to chaperone.
There is more going on at Black Heath Manor than thought and all are in danger before the end is in sight.

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