The Omega Objection by G L Carriger

Gail Carriger, a New York Times bestselling author, writes to cope with growing up in obscurity as the daughter of an exiled Brit and an incurable curmudgeon. She abandoned small-town life and mistakenly earned numerous degrees from colleges and universities. Carriger then journeyed around Europe's famous cities, surviving solely on cookies stashed in her handbag. She lives in the Colonies, surrounded by amazing shoes, and she only drinks tea from London.