In an alternative timeline wherein vampires, werewolves and ghosts have openly declared themselves and are regulated by the government in Victorian England, Alexia Tarabotti is a stubborn, prickly spinster living in the bosom of her overwhelming family. Except Alexia is different, in that she has been born without a soul. What follows is her escapades as she is inadvertently involved in the abduction of the supernatural entities of London, and attempts to make sense of the romantic inclinations of a werewolf. 
 This story was absolutely delicious. Funny, witty and clever, Alexia is far from the traditional heroine, and the story is an interesting fusion of period pieces and urban fantasy. I'd hesitate to call it urban fantasy, since it was set in Victorian England, but the steampunk in the book was so tangential to the story that I wouldn't want to classify it as that, either. What I would definitely call it was fun, and definitely worth the read. I'm looking forward to reading the next two in the series. 
 If you'd like something similar, though nowhere near as funny or witty, try Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters series. Particularly similar to this book is The Serpent's Shadow, a book that follows a half-Indian female doctor who is just trying to find her way in a country that's foreign to her, and filled with hidden dangers.