Monday, July 22, 2024

Mini- ARC Review: Foretold (Fated Love Series #2)

Foretold (Fated Love Series #2)

Chantal Fernando

Blurb:

What do you do when the person you are bonded to eternally has betrayed you?

Simple.

You make his life hell.

As the Shadow Prince’s secrets finally unravel, I’m left scrambling to pick up the pieces.

Hiding in another kingdom might fix all my problems, right?

My mate will be left in the darkness this time.

I hope those shadows choke him.

Let the games begin.

Themes:  Romantasy

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating:  

Review:

I must say I was angry at the end of book one in this series, primarily because I am one of those readers that cannot stand cliffhangers, to the point that I generally refuse to read them, but I am glad to finally have my questions answered and to see Rave and Astrid get their HEA. This series has shaped up to be an interesting world filled with dangers, intriguing plot twists, and characters that are both filled with both the light and dark of humanity that makes us all so interesting.  The belief that as a species any being is all light or all dark is boring in my opinion so the dual natures represented by so many of the characters in this book is both interesting and fascinating to watch unfold as they come together and learn more about one another. Astrid is definitely one of the most interesting as she learns to embrace her dark side, while coming to understand this dualistic nature in her mate. The protective and possessive nature of her lover comes out in herself more than once as she sees the truth of her feelings for Rave, and she comes to peace with her needs for him.  While she might be attracted to another man, she knows that only her fated mate will ever match her perfectly.  Rave also comes to understand that Astrid is the perfect woman her for him, and when she hurts, especially if he is the cause of the hurt, it tears him apart.  I loved seeing the passion between these two as they worked through the trauma and turmoil of the enemies coming at them from every angle even as they tried to come to terms with the changes in their relationship and their new lives.  While I can promise you that this story gives us a beautiful wrap up to the love story between Rave and Astrid, it does give us a beautiful hint at the next story, letting us know that book 3 will be interesting to say the least, but I’m hoping that one won’t end of a cliffhanger.  Chantal has outdone herself with this duology of a love story, but take it from me, read Forewarned and Foretold together if you want the full impact of the love and danger of Rave and Astrid as they change the world and find a  love to shape a nation.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Saturday, July 20, 2024

ARC Review: Forced Vows (Syndicate Rules #5)

Forced Vows (Syndicate Rules #5)

Lucy Monroe

Blurb:


RÓISE

The last thing I want is to marry into the mafia, but I'll do anything to protect my vulnerable younger cousin. My one choice left is who I give my body to for the first time. Fate plays a cruel trick when my club hookup turns out the be the underboss I'm supposed to marry.

MICELI

I will do anything for la famiglia, including marrying the niece of the Irish mob boss. Even after the most intensely passionate encounter of my life. I'll never forget the beautiful woman who gave me her virginity in a one-night stand, but when I meet her two months later, she's introduced as my future wife. I should be relieved. I'm not. I'm furious. How dare she risk her safety and offer what should have been mine to a stranger?


Themes:  Contemporary, Mafia

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating:  

Review:

We always wonder what would happen if you were to be the one person that hits that one-in-a-million chance and hope that it is for a good reason, but one never imagines it will happen in quite the way it happens for Róise when she tries to spread her wings for the first time and finds herself in a whole different kind of gilded cage. Lucy Monroe began this adventure of dark Mafia romances recently and I have to tell you that I was doubtful I was going to enjoy it, because honestly, while I’ve read some dark romances, Bikers have been my limit when it comes to the criminal element for the most part.  But Ms. Monroe definitely has a way of presenting a whole new side of the mafia and their counterparts in other cultures that makes me really wonder if what I’ve always known was true.  This latest installment is just another example of her bending my mind and making me question my ideas of the shades of gray when it comes to right and wrong.  Róise and Miceli are definitely hot and their romance takes many interesting and dangerous twists and turns, filled with laughter, heat, love and the growth of two characters that have to come to terms with hard truths as they lose their hearts. I am dying to find out who will be next in this series to lose their hearts (secretly hoping it is Helios and that we get to learn more about the Portland Greek boys) but I know whatever comes our way it’ll be sexy and darkly intense.

Róise Shaughnessy is being forced into a marriage with a high-ranking member of the Italian mafia, at the demand of her uncle, the leader of the Irish mob, if she wants to protect her cousin.  But she won’t go down quietly and she won’t go into it as a virgin like they think, so she sneaks away from her guards for one night of adventure and sexual fantasy with a gorgeous Adonis across the country where the mafia can’t reach her.  Miceli De Luca is willing to marry the mob princess for the sake of la famiglia but when he finally meets his intended he is blown away to learn she is the sexy woman that snuck away from his bed after a night of wild passion and has not left his thoughts since.  Faced with the truth of their night together, Róise and Miceli have to come to terms with their intense feelings for one another and their future together and find a way to live with their new fate, but it will not be an easy adjustment.  With enemies and those that are determined to make the transition as difficult as possible, Róise and Miceli  both have misgivings and each must accept that sometimes fate has a bigger hand in a person’s life and that sometimes one night can lead to the most important connection and the greatest love that they have ever felt. If they allow themselves to let go of their hang-ups and misbeliefs, they might be able to find their HEA, but long-held beliefs are difficult to overcome and only together will they be able to accept their new way of life.

Róise is definitely the kind of woman that makes any alpha male’s life terrifyingly exciting, because as much as they don’t want to admit it, women like her are what keeps them on their toes.  She is very young for sure, but she is by no means immature, forced to grow up quickly after the loss of both her mother and father at a young age to the common violence of a mob life.  She managed to keep a lovely kind of innocence and verve for life, one that keeps her smiling even through the darkness of certain experiences and she is able to find fun in even the most unlikely of times. I loved seeing her sparring with not only her uncle and the Miceli’s brother—the Don of the Italian mafia no less—but mostly with Miceli himself as she forced him to accept her just as she is.  She always brightened the darkness that he cloaked himself in and pushed him out of his comfort zones so that he would see how good she was for him, finally making him accept that his heart needed to embrace her in order for them to have any chance at a future together.  Even when she was in a dangerous situation she managed to hold her own, kicking butt and taking names and saving herself instead of being the typical damsel in distress.  I loved that she made those around her accept her demands instead of caving to the men in her life, she made them see her as, if not an equal, then at least a seen member of their lives and one with a voice.  Her sass, sweetness, love, and caring made her the perfect match for Miceli’s darkness and scarred heart.

Miceli was the flip side of Róise’s coin for sure, his dark to her light, but he also had his moments of loving and caring that remind us that while he is a scary Italian mafioso, he is also a loving son and brother.  He presents an image to the world, one of being emotionless and hard that would have terrified a lesser woman, but Róise forces him to show her the true depths of the man.  His dark heart is by no means hard, but instead holds secrets that when uncovered shows the tortured soul inside that, if he’d been born to another family, would have made him into an entirely different man. It’s obvious that his generational inheritance of being a made man required him to lock away his heart long ago, but with Róise he can finally open it again and she will protect it without him having to be exposed.  He is a loving brother to his siblings and their spouses, a caring son to his mother, but the true measure of his love comes when he finally accepts his need for Róise and he offer her his heart.  I loved seeing him large and in charge as he shows his enemies his ruthless side of course, protecting those he cares for, mainly his new bride-to-be, but there were definitely moments I wanted to slap him in the head (much like Róise).  I was terribly surprised with the direction poor Miceli’s life took in this story as a result of events within the Mafia, but I can see how, with Róise at his side, he will make the transition he is forced into beautifully and I look forward to seeing him in his new role in future stories. All-in-all you could say that Miceli is a typically sexy, dangerously alpha, and beautifully complex dark hero who manages to make me want to take my own adventure into the world of the many shades of gray to find me a sexy bad boy.

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to go through an unwanted, arranged marriage, in this day and age,  Forced Vows certainly gives us an intriguing look into one direction that things could take. Lucy Monroe leads her characters on an interesting and dangerous adventure of lust, anger, deceit, and ultimately understanding as they get to truly know one another and find love in the most unexpected of places.  Róise never imagined that the one night she spent in the arms of her dream lover would come back to haunt her when she meets the man she is going to be forced to marry, but as long as everyone holds true to their promises, she thinks she can escape the marriage with her heart intact. Miceli is determined to show the little minx that has infected his mind and body that she is his, forever, but in order to do so, he first has to survive long enough to get her to the alter, and keep her in his arms as well.  With enemies at every turn attempting to tear them apart, misunderstandings causing passionate fights that could break them, and so many differences, it truly will be a miracle if their agreement is ever fulfilled into a true relationship—but never underestimate the power of passion and love. The heat between these two is hot enough to burn through a rainforest and leave nothing in it’s path and burns hot from the first moment they are together until the last page.   I was a little disappointed that the book ended before the actual wedding ceremony (c’est le vie), but did enjoy that the timeline seemed to have overlapped quite a bit with the last book (Brutal Capo), so maybe the next story will do the same and the wedding will happen in that one.  Whatever comes next (Helios? Hint hint, nudge nudge) I know I will be the first one signing up to read and review because I am dying to find out what is coming now that so much has changed in the world of these folks, and I wouldn’t turn down whatever I get.  Lucy Monroe has definitely changed my mind about these sexy Mafia men and I will be reading many more of them in the future, because honestly the power and sexual intensity is right up there with bikers and I am learning so much. Another great read with all the passion, love, and magic I always expect from Lucy. 

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Mini ARC review: Falling for Nola (Redemption Harbor Security #3.5)

Falling for Nola (Redemption Harbor Security #3.5)

Katie Reus

Blurb:

They started off on the wrong foot…

When Nola’s firefighter neighbor wakes her up for the third night in a row with his loud motorcycle, she has some choice words for him.

Once they clear the air, sparks fly between them…

Kayce falls for his neighbor from the first moment she yells at him, and he’s not alone in his attraction. But since they’re neighbors, she’s worried about the fallout if they part ways. Only he wonders why she thinks they’d ever break up…

Themes:  Contemporary, Novella

Rating: 3 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

What a cute little story to remind us that sometimes those sparks can fly at the most unexpected of times. Katie Reus gives us a short story of one of the side characters we met in her last Redemption Harbor Security Series and the fiery neighbor that steals his heart.  Kayce Laurent is a NOLA fire inspector, and he has just moved into a new house, surrounded by interesting and mostly friendly neighbors, but the beautiful spitfire that threatened bodily harm if he woke her up at an ungodly hour again with his motorcycle has stolen his attention. Nola Cartier still can’t believe she yelled at her sexy neighbor in the dead of night in her barely-there pjs, but now she is faced with him in the light of day, and he is even more sexy than she imagined.  When he turns on the charm there is no denying, he is attractive, but with a series of misunderstandings the two of them take forever to admit their attraction and finally get their chance at a relationship.  Once that fire is sparked though, the heat and magi of love burns and spreads quickly until these two are inseparable and there is nothing that will come between them.  I loved this short story, with lots of laughter, cute mix-ups, both Kayce and Nola jumping to ridiculous conclusion, and finally both of them just admitting their feelings. In the end it was obviously they were meant to be and that the love between them was never going to be denied.  The neighbors and family members also added some fun spice and laughs, and I enjoyed the book as a fun way to end a hectic week. I am looking forward to more of the series and hope to see Kayce and Nola again. Katie is also one to give us laughter and joy in her stories, even if they can be dark, but this story is full of laughter and happiness so if you are looking for a short read on the lighter side of love, grab it and enjoy.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Sunday, July 14, 2024

ARC Review: Just One More Dare (The Sterling Family #2)

Just One More Dare (The Sterling Family #2)

Carly Phillips

Blurb:

A runaway bride.

Her older brother’s off-limits friend.

Taking one more shot at love should be easy, right?

Not on a dare.

Samantha Dare had one thought when she found out her fiancé was a lying cheater. Escape. So, she ran from her wedding…straight into the arms of the man who once gave her the hottest kiss of her life. But rebounding with her brother’s friend would be a huge mistake…wouldn’t it?

The last thing Dex Sterling needed was more chaos in his life. Retiring from football and starting over in broadcasting gave him plenty of that. But even though Samantha is chaos personified, for some reason, he’s still not able to keep his mind—or hands—off her…

Is a little bit of forced proximity and a lot of sexual chemistry enough to earn them a second chance at happily ever after?

Samantha and Dex are about to find out…

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating:  4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Long-time Carly Philips readers have wondered whatever happened to that last Dare sibling from the Miami Dares… Well wonder no more my fellow readers! Samantha Dare finally meets her match and the man that will steal her heart and make her life and adventure in Just One More Dare.  I have been dying for this book ever since Carly gave me a hint it was coming, and I have to tell you she in no way let me down and I am truly proud to have had to chance to be one of the first to read the story. Samantha and Dex’s Road to love is a somewhat long and rocky one, filled with detours and obstacles that could have prevented them from ever ending up together, but in the end, they found their HEA together.  If you are a fan of two people working together to overcome adversity and beat the odds of not only scheming and lying exes, but also overprotective family members, and well-meaning but nosey friends, you will love Carly’s latest foray into the world of love and drama.

Samantha Dare is preparing to walk down the aisle, marrying her business partner and a man that she has doubts about until she learns the truth from his own lips about his plans for her and his mistress. Determined to not be made a fool, she runs from her high-society wedding and is rescued by her oldest brother’s good friend—one she shared a hot kiss with years ago, but never really saw again. Dex Sterling had no idea when he headed toa business meeting one morning that he would suddenly find himself whisking the woman that he always considered “the one who got away” to a private getaway in the Caribbean to help her escape her “almost wedding”. Dex knows that he has to keep his hands off the vulnerable and hurting Samantha, but the more they are together the more he wants her, and she isn’t helping as she flirts and tries to seduce him.  But once they return to New York, all bets are off as Dex realizes that she isn’t as broken by her aborted marriage as some might think.  Working to build a new relationship soon might not be the smartest move, but both Dex and Samantha as determined to prove everyone wrong and finally have their chance at happiness now that there is nothing standing in the way of them having a relationship.  However, someone is determined that Samantha does not get her HEA and if they aren’t careful, they will lose their chance together forever.

I really loved finally getting to know the last of the very first in the long line of the Dare’s, the family that began it all and opened up a whole new world of characters and spin-offs that I have enjoyed for a while now.  The Original Dare family began with Robert Dare’s children (Dare to Love) and if you haven’t read them, I suggest you run out and start them immediately, but I digress.  Samantha is the last of the single children from that large not-so nuclear family and she has lived an interesting and anything but sheltered life, but her siblings and mother have always been a support system while also being overprotective enough that she fears letting them down.  That fear of failing has made it hard for her to reach out when she makes mistakes, but Samantha learns through her relationship with Dex that sometimes its ok to admit we need help to solve our bigger problems. I loved seeing Samantha interacting with her siblings and her best friend, she was sassy, smart, savvy, and sensitive to the needs of others, but never let herself be walked on.  She stood up for herself and her confidence barely wavered even when she was angry enough to spit, but she certainly reached out and took the hand (Dex’s in this case) that was there to rescue her.  Dex was the sexiest KISA I have seen in a while.  While his version of armor might have been a sexy suit, he wore it with an aplomb that made any woman pant, he was loving, sweet, caring but strong, dependable and smart enough to know not to get between a woman and her problems, instead he stood beside her and supported her.  I loved seeing Dex as he shared the story of his past and how he became a Sterling, loving and supporting his second family when he had never been shown that from his bio family.  It is obvious that he has a lot of love to give and that he will always be there for Samantha and that the two of them will make a great bridge between two large families.

Just One More Dare is the perfect story to remind you that even in the midst of large supportive families we can sometimes feel inadequate in certain ways, finding ourselves adrift, but reaching out and finding that support is the most important feeling.  I loved the feeling of family togetherness, defense, and love that is always found in Carly’s Dare and Sterling stories and seeing it together all in one was masterful.  Samantha is a Dare through and through; loving, protective, sassy, smart, and willing to lay down her life for those she loves, Samantha will do whatever it takes to keep her family and friends safe and happy, and when she loses her heart to Dex there is no doubt that he will be her everything.  Dex is the most beautiful of alpha males, because even when he manages to make a dumb mistake, he can solve it; I loved watching him work through his fears and worries about building a relationship with Samantha until finally realizing he wasn’t willing to lose her a second time, no matter what it costs him.  The heat that flares between these two is unquestionable and even when they are trying to hide their love from others or even themselves you can feel the passion between them.  I am dying for the next book in the series and cannot wait for find out which Sterling sibling will lose their heart next, but I know whatever happens, Carly will blow our minds and it’ll be a heartbreaking and ultimately fulfilling story.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.


Wednesday, July 10, 2024

ARC Review: His Second Chance (Montgomery Ink Legacy #6)

His Second Chance (Montgomery Ink Legacy #6)

Carrie Ann Ryan

Blurb:

The rules were simple. Protect the woman I love. And try to stop loving her along the way.

Kane Montgomery Carr and Phoebe Dixon's romance went from a fiery temptation to a fizzled-out heartbreak.

Only Kane has no idea why.

All he knows is that he has to keep her safe when a stalker sets Phoebe in their sights.

Yet as the two of them are forced once again into each other's lives, the truth behind their breakup surfaces and they are forced to face the facts: the feelings and heat they buried aren't quite as gone as they'd like.

If they give in, they'll have to face the demons that broke them up in the first place—including a startling secret that shocks them both.

Yet if they don't, they might lose the chance of a lifetime.

That is, of course, if they can survive what lurks in the shadows for them both.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating: 4 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Well just to get this out of the way up front, if you’ve heard the rumors, yes, this story reveals a big secret that our evil writer queen has been keeping from us from two years now as she built up to this story and the coming spin-off series, she has been promising us.  While it was a doozy and rocked the world of many of our favorite characters in this series, including Pheobe, Kane and many of their closest friends, I won’t be sharing the secret.  Just read the story and make sure you are prepared to have your mind blown as only Carrie Ann Ryan can manage it. Pheobe and Kane’s story begins with a meet-cute from their past and then we move forward in time to where they are broken up and their lives are suddenly in the crosshairs of multiple dangerous enemies.  The drama, emotional turmoil and ultimate relationship development between these to makes the story so complex and spellbinding that I almost wasn’t able to put it down to go to work. I am dying to see what comes up not only for the Montgomery clan, but also in the upcoming spinoff series and there is just so much more that is going to be coming in this world that I can hardly contain my excitement.

Pheobe Dixon first met Kan Montgomery Carr running from a bear and she quickly came to understand that he was a protective guy, but after a while she couldn’t take the rift, it caused between them.  When Pheobe broken up with him, Kane never really understood why and only after she left him did, he truly understand that she’d stolen his heart. When she comes back into his life, at one of the most dangerous times possible, his overprotectiveness is at the highest level possible, but he refuses to let her push him away again even if he just has to protect her without being her man again.  But the more time they are together the harder Pheobe finds resisting him and when she gives in to her needs and takes him back, there is soon no fighting the love and need they share.  They decided that this time they can write their relationship together if they work hard enough, but when a long-held family secret comes out, pulling the rug out from under Pheobe, they have to handle the fallout together.  But there are also dangerous enemies out there stalking them and if they aren’t careful, they won’t live long enough to have their HEA despite all their determination and the depth of their love for one another.

Wow Pheobe was a bit of a basket case in this story, not going to lie it annoyed me here and there, but she did finally get it together in the end.  She’s always been the baby of the family, caught in the grips of some very overprotective family members and it left her with some strange ideas of what having a strong alpha mate could mean for her future, so when she truly got to know Kane the first time it sent her running; but when she came back into his life the second time, forcing him to take a look at his behavior, she also begins to see that having a loving and caring man at your side is nothing to sneer at.  She helps him to understand her needs, forcing him to understand the difference between standing in front of her and beside her as they deal with issues that come up. Her family was definitely central to the story, and we learn a lot about them as we learn about Pheobe, and of course we get to learn a lot about her best friend Claire (who’s story is next with Kane’s cousin, Kingston). The way she has dealt with issues in her past versus how she deals with them now that Kane is by her side show us that she too is growing and coming to understand the goodness of having her man, but I still wish she’d wizened up earlier.  She is sweet and loving, caring for those around her, even sacrificing for them in the end and I enjoyed watching her as she offered her love to Kane in the end.

Kane is one of those guys that never realized just how smothering he could be, mainly because he didn’t understand that loving someone means having your heart constantly walking outside your body until Pheobe stole it from him.  Once he lost her the first time, he tried to come to terms with the pain, but when she comes back to him and he is faced with the fear that she will be hurt because of him he is even more determined, not only to protect her from outside danger, but also to make sure that he meets her emotional needs.  I loved watching him examine himself and then make active changes so that Phoebe would accept his protection and love, even though it made him crazy at times, showing that despite his alpha needs to protect he could be sweet and thoughtful.  He is sexy, smart, loving and there is no doubt he is both a Carr and a Montgomery through and through.  I enjoyed seeing him interacting with his large extended family and his small nuclear family as well, because the connections never failed to give him the emotional support he needed at any given moment. Kane is the perfect boyfriend even if he doesn’t realize it.

Kane and Phoebe’s story is filled with angst as he gets His Second Chance to prove to her that he can be everything she needs in her lover, but also with enemies after them the highest sense of danger increases the fear and drama. I loved every movement of their story, whether they were fighting, crying or loving one another, Phoebe and Kane we so obviously made for one another, and fate would have put them together one way or another (and you’ll understand that better once you know the BIG SECRET). Kane is a big protective gorilla, one that doesn’t understand when he is being overbearing sometimes, but he is determined to always stand between danger and those he loves.  Phoebe is determined to stand on her own two feet, however sometimes she needs to allow others to be there for her to lean on and Kane is just the shoulder she wants and needs.  Together they are a perfect match and I loved watching them change and grow together, seeing the way they gave and took in order to be just what the other needed in any given situation.  The passion was there for them even when they weren’t together so honestly, I have no clue how they resisted one another as long as they did, but when they gave into it, that heat was palpable for sure.  The drama of not only the secrets revealed in this one, but also the dangerous villains was beautifully written, and I have to say this is the first time I didn’t fully see it coming (might have had an inkling, but I was still surprised). The next story promises to be just as interesting as Claire and Kingston have to overcome their issues and deal with one another in order to find their HEA together in One Night With You (coming in Nov-ish).   I read a lot of romances, including everything Carrie Ann has ever written, but I can say with all authority that this is a read I will not be forgetting any time soon and one I will be recommending to readers far and wide.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

Thursday, July 4, 2024

ARC Review: Dragon Born (Dragon Kings #8)

Dragon Born (Dragon Kings #8)

Donna Grant

Blurb:

She’s the most dangerous being alive…and the only one I crave.

I feel her across realms. Through the vast emptiness of space, weaving among the stars. She is the Queen of Violets. Powerful, shrewd, defiant. Utterly exquisite. Feared among her own and pursued by all.

She is the Dragon Queen.

I was an ordinary MI5 agent before being thrust into the world of Dragons Kings, Fae, Reapers, and magic. But it was a world I soon discovered I was bound to by blood from my Druid ancestors.

The instant we met, I was hers. Forever. I would have ripped the moon from the sky for her. I would have razed worlds. Then she deceived me.

Yet, I can’t stop thinking about her. Craving her. She’s in my very psyche, like a fever that burns through my veins like dragon fire. Scorching and eternal.

When I sense a malicious danger closing in around her, I defy every rule to get to her.

Themes:  Paranormal, Dragons, Druids

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

OMG it’s finally happening.  For fans of this world, we have been looking forward to his one for a LONG time and I for one new that it would be a masterpiece of epic proportions. Donna Grant is truly the mistress of all things Dragon and her ability to lead us into a magical adventure of villains, danger, and love is one that I always look forward to. Melisse and Henry’s story was destined to be filled with not of drama and relationship blocks but also with big changes for the Kings in general, primarily because the guys would finally have to come to realize that despite the fact that Melisse is the only female among them, it is not their responsibility to protect or shelter her.  She is in fact an equal and just as much of a warrior as any one of them and when she finally learned to accept that for herself, she was able to accept Henry just the way he was, even as he has to do the same for himself. Their story took them both through understanding their pasts, sharing their histories and learning about themselves in order to grow together and find their place in their world individually and together.  I am really looking forward to seeing more of them in the future stories and seeing how they continue to grow and change the world around them, because I have no doubt huge changes are heading their way.

Melisse spent the majority of her life imprisoned, first for her own safety and then by the long line of King of Kings—right up to Constantine—that all believed she was a weapon meant to bring down the Dragon Kings. Once she was freed from her cell, she was determined to experience the world, but the –mostly—human Henry, the JusticeBringer of the Druids, has drawn her notice and it is entirely mutual.  Ever since Henry was introduced to the world of the Kings, Henry has learned more than he ever imagined not just about the world but about himself and Melisse is the greatest part of it all.  She draws him like no other female ever has, but she broke his heart, and he won’t put himself out there again trying to convince her—or anyone else—to give him another chance to love her.  When his entire being begins telling him he must get to Zora, the alternate world where the dragons are settled, in order to not only Save Melisse but possibly both of their worlds, he refuses to let anything stop him.  Soon Henry and Melisse find themselves on a harrowing adventure where their roles are reversed, and Henry has to use his now formidable magic to protect the woman he loves as she is slowly weakening from a dangerous foe.  Can these two such different people find a way to overcome their past hurts and find a way to not only defeat their enemies but also accept one another and find a future together?

It was no surprised with her sheltered past, being imprisoned for millennia, that Melisse doesn’t understand the feelings that Henry inspires in her, but I was very disappointed that she allowed the others to treat him too badly for so long.  I can understand her fears in trusting a man with her heart, having seen the way love turned out for her mother, but she needed to also see the other Kings and how great love was with their mates so she could understand that love didn’t always end in tragedy. It was sad, but also good to finally get to understand the rest of Melisse’s story, finally giving us the details, we needed to fully understand the why and details of what happened to her so long ago.  I loved to see how she came to accept her feelings for Henry and appreciate how he struggles day in and day out having less (or no) magic when faced with the enemies and danger that the Kings brings into his life, but he never quits or runs from the fear.  She truly came to appreciate how good a man Henry is as she fell even more in love with him.  Henry has his own hangups to deal with as he rushed to Melisse’s side to rescue her and find out why his “Spidey sense” is reaching out to him across worlds. There is not denying that he needs to embrace his JusticeBringer magic in order to fully understand how great his magic can be, but at the same time I loved how when he finds himself with unexpected powers, instead of fearing or questioning them, he dives right into understanding them and using them to protect and save Melisse. Can there be any greater expression of love than offering up your very essence in order to save the one you love? Henry has always been determined that he will give up anything for those he loves, but when Melisse came into his life that took on new meaning, even as she pushed him away. I loved that Henry was the one to finally save the day and ended up making them and unexpected ally that I suspect will play and important role in coming stories.

What can one say about a story that you have been waiting for years to read, one that blew your mind and kept you so caught up that you skipped dinner and left you too exhausted to go to work the next day?  MAGICKAL.  Henry and Melisse went through a heck of a lot to be sure, and I loved every moment of their adventure as they learned more about themselves and one another.  Henry finally found a way to forgive and accept himself, his past, and Melisse for hurting him in the past.  He was able to accept that he might not have the same level of magic that those around him do, but that doesn’t make him less of an important member of the Dragon King family and certainly doesn’t make him less deserving of the love of a sexy Dragon Queen. Melisse grew by leaps and bounds as well, coming to understand her limitations, that her magick can be a crutch and that sometimes we need to depend on others that are better equipped in a challenge in order to survives.  She was able to show Henry that she pushed him away out of fear and not because she didn’t have feelings for him, and when she finally opened herself up to the possibility of love, her heart embraced the sweet and sexy Druid with a quick wit, strong mind, and ability to make her crazy.  The passion that so often flares between these two, whether they are arguing or sharing a loving moment, has been an undercurrent of their relationship from the very beginning but it was nice to finally see them get to embrace it. I am dying to find out who gets their story next (though I have some suspicions) and what kind of danger and drama is coming their way as the danger on Zora heats up.  If you are looking for a charged and fast-paced adventure in an alternate world, filled with magick, dragons, fae, and Druids, you will love Dragon Born by Donna Grant aka the “Mistress of Dragon Romance” (haha). 

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.