Not Her Dragon (Not This series, #6) by Annie Nicholas
Single female dragons are too rare to be left to their own devices. Or so, Bella was taught.
Then her betrothed unexpectedly dies, leaving her wedding contract in the hands of his greedy father. She has no choice but to be auctioned off to the highest bidder or her family will be killed.
For one week, she’s enslaved to a dragon who is obsessed with her. A dragon so wicked they call him Killer of Men. So powerful and wealthy, other males weep with envy. Now, she belongs to the devil bent on making her love him.
He wants her body. He wants her soul. But most of all, he wants the one thing she won’t give him. He wants her as his mate.
~ BOOK REVIEW for Not His Dragon ~
****(4) out of 5 Stars
This is another great book in this wonderful series! I did NOT like Cedric in Not His Dragon, other than the fact that at least he was honorable; but I did come to like him quite a bit as we saw more of him in some of the other tales. Here we really get to know him, and I was truly impressed with how thoughtful he was as a suitor. Not to mention how forward-thinking his ideas were for someone of his age and upbringing.
Bella was sweet and innocent; and a bit of an idiot, if you ask me. The situations she kept putting herself in were just dumb and basically lead to all of the conflict in the story.
These two do not seem like a very likely match in the beginning, but the more we see them together the more apparent it becomes that they are perfect for one another.
The outside influences here were a bit much for me. There was a scene at the near end which I had a very hard time with. And this was considering it was regarding made-up characters of a fantasy nature! But it really upset me.
Otherwise, however, most of the tail was fun, delightful, and entertaining. I especially enjoyed one of the final hurdles that these two had to overcome, or rather what brought about the resolution (with the help of Bella's parents, no less!).
Seeing prior characters from previous books in the series is always fun, especially when they are viewed in a new light or different situation, as occurred here with several of them. There were also several new characters introduced, ranging from delightful to dreadful. Bob was most definitely my favorite character of the entire book!
I don't know if the author has plans for any additional volumes in this series, but I would love to hear more stories of additional members of the New Port paranormal society — especially Eoin's family — falling in love and being mated!
I received a free eBook copy of this title from the Author,
TROPES: Second Chance, Coworkers/Office Romance, Cinnamon Roll Hero, Small Town, Big Family
RELEASE DATE: January 18, 2022
~ BLURB ~
She’s not just my ex-girlfriend. She’s my new coworker.
I knew Lucy Dillard was The One the first time I met her. Yes, I’m enough of a sap to believe in love at first sight. When I fell for Lucy, I fell hard. Everything was great between us—until the moment she dumped me.
Now I just want to forget about her. Instead, I’m stuck staring at her face all day. But I need this job, so I’ll find a way to be civil and professional.
There’s just one small problem: I’m nowhere close to being over her.
First, we were lovers. Then enemies. Now we’re trying to work together.
I didn’t set out to break Tanner King’s heart, but you know what they say about the road to hell.
I’ve got too many responsibilities and no room in my life for love. I can deal with Tanner’s resentment until he starts working at the desk directly across from mine. Obviously, a truce of some kind is required. We’re both grownups. We can handle this situation like professionals.
There’s only one thing threatening this fragile peace we’ve negotiated: all these inconvenient feelings I apparently still have for him.
CreamandPunishment is book #2 in the King Family series set in the small town of Crowder, Texas, home of the King’s Creamery ice company. Each book is a standalone, full-length contemporary romance that follows one of the six King siblings as they find and fight for love.
~ BOOK REVIEW for Cream and Punishment ~
***(3) out of 5 Stars!
I'm not much of a fan of second-chance romance, but I must say that this one was pretty good. Of course, it was a lot more tolerable in this instance because the couple had only been broken up for six months (not the years seen in many of this type of story). And they hadn't broken up due to some huge transgression of either party, just one of them freaking out at how serious things were getting between them. Also, neither of them was with anyone else in the meantime.
I did have a hard time connecting with Lucy, especially at first. She was just so mean! And while I kind of understood her reasoning about not wanting to get too involved, I also thought it was a cop out. Not to mention how immature she was in handling many things, especially their initial breakup. Most of their problems could have been solved with some good communication.
Tanner, on the other hand, was a true gem! Despite some initial resentment at being forced to work with Lucy, and mostly because of her poor attitude toward him, he very quickly starts being as nice as can be to her, even when he doesn't think there is any chance they'll ever be together again. Once they decide to try things again at least to some extent, he is like the perfect boyfriend. Not sure that she deserved him, actually.
Something in her spoke to something in me, and just like that, I knew I loved her.
While they came from vastly different backgrounds and had different types of baggage they were carrying around, they both had HORRIBLE families! I mean, these were truly awful people. I cannot believe how much Lucy let her mother and brother take advantage of her for so long; and how gullible she was when it came to her mom especially. Tanner's father was a real piece of work as well, with no apparent redeeming qualities at all. Tanner did at least have some half-way decent siblings. (Of course, with there being 8 of them, you'd hope that somebody turned out good!)
When they both learn to finally start standing up for themselves and each other, that's when things really start getting good. (But before that, seriously, they would have been better off running away together to join the circus! LOL!)
And it's always fun to see characters from other books making guest appearances.
I can hardly wait to read the next installment to find out what happens to Tanner's brother Ryan...
I received a free eBook copy of this title from the author, and have willingly provided an honest review.
Susannah Nix is a RITA® Award-winning andUSA Today bestselling author of rom-coms and contemporary romances who lives in Texas with her husband. On the rare occasions she's not writing, she can be found reading, knitting, lifting weights, drinking wine, or obsessively watching Ted Lasso on repeat to stave off existential angst.
What if Fate matched me with this human, and she's my mate?
Alpha’s Revenge, an all-new steamy and action-packed paranormal romance, in the Shifter Ops series, from USA Today bestselling authors Renee Rose and Lee Savino, is available now!
This is insane. This human—beautiful though she may be—can’t be my mate. I learned the hard way what it's like to lose people you love. As an alpha, I vowed never to let that happen again. That means keeping my focus. Never letting my guard down. And, most of all, staying away from civilians - i.e. humans. But the feisty chocolatier has me breaking my own rules. The beautiful female tests my patience... and all my control. I should stay away. I can't protect the pack if I succumb to my desires. But what if this is more than desire? What if Fate matched me with this human, and she's my mate? If I don't claim her, I'll lose it all in the worst possible way.
To celebrate the release of Alpha’s Revenge enter to win a $50.00 Amazon Gift card: https://bit.ly/3t9kHi9!
~ BOOK REVIEW for Alpha's Revenge ~
***(3) out of 5 Stars!
This is the story of Rafe Lightfoot (Alpha of his little pack) and Adele Fabre (friend to the human wives of two of his pack-mates). These two had a whole "will-they-or-won't-they" vibe going throughout the prior two books of the series, Alpha's Moon (Deke & Sadie's story) and Alpha's Vow (Lance & Charlie's tale).
Rafe is kind of a butthead, and really puts Adele through the ringer by being extremely hot-and-cold with her, not to mention all of the secrets that he keeps. He does not, under any circumstances, want to claim her as his mate. He's afraid both that it will be too much responsibility for him with everything else he already has going on, and that it will put her in danger. But what he apparently fails to realize is that she is already in danger from multiple fronts, and he has already assumed responsibility for her just due to her relationship with his pack members and their spouses. Besides which, he knows that she's his fated mate and that he'll go moon-mad if he doesn't claim her, so it isn't as though he really has a choice in the matter.
Adele is super spunky, while also being totally loving and protective. In a nutshell, she's the ultimate alpha mate. But she does, however, make some really dumb mistakes, that seem to totally belie how otherwise intelligent she seems. (Like, what part of "Don't leave the house" was not clear?!?)
But eventually these two do get together, and it's delightful to witness. Every scene with other members of the pack are fun as well. It's always great to see the stars of prior tomes in the set and catch-up with them. Not to mention that every interaction with Channing is pure gold.
I was rather confused by Gabe Dieter. He is presented as a really bad guy, totally on the opposite of things from Rafe and his pack, even dangerous to them. And yet his fated mate is apparently Tabitha, who I just can't see being with someone who is diametrically opposed to her friends and their mates. It will definitely be interesting to see where things go with them in the next volume of the series.
I received a free eBook copy of this title from Social Butterfly PR,
and have willingly provided an honest review.
Excerpt
“Adele.” Rafe catches my elbows to steady me as I bounce off his immovable form.
I’m more flustered than a misstep calls for, but it’s only because my nerves were already ragged over asking Rafe for a job, and now that I’ve decided I don’t actually want the job, I feel somehow caught.
“Rafe,” I manage to say. Don’t be nervous. Imagine him naked.
Trouble is, I imagine Rafe naked far too much.
He’s still holding my elbows, standing far too close. Rafe’s not as Hollywood good-looking as his brother Lance, who recently knocked up my friend Charlie. His hair is darker. His eyes are green. Lance is charming in that laidback, lazy smile kind of way. Rafe is the opposite. No charm. Definitely not laidback. There’s a ruggedness and ferocity about him that makes being around him feel terribly dangerous.
Dangerous, intense, and… exciting.
He’s the kind of guy you’d want on your side, not against it. Last week, when my business partner turned up dead, Charlie got kidnapped, and I was picked up by the police for questioning, I learned exactly how powerful it is to have a guy like him in my court.
So I’m already beholden to Rafe.
Something I hate. Don’t trust a man …
“I—um—I was just leaving.”
“You were?” His brows go down, gaze sweeps over me. “It looks like you just got here.” His eyes snag on my high heeled boots. “You walk in the snow in those?”
“Yes?” Why did I make that sound like a question? Something about his surly black brows makes me uncertain. I clear my throat and try again. “Yes, of course.”
“You need to be more careful. Those boots aren’t good in the snow.” And there it is, the most annoying thing about Rafe. He orders everyone around. The fact that he’s always in fatigue pants and a gray or army green Henley doesn’t lessen his drill sergeant vibe. Neither does the way he stands and looks down on everyone, like a general inspecting his troops and finding us all wanting. I think it’s great he had a military career—when I first met him, I thanked him for his service—but he’s not the boss of me!
I’m tempted to declare that and stomp my boots like I’m four, but that won’t help him take me seriously. Or land me a job.
“Are you meeting someone?” Rafe asks.
“No. Um, yes. Ah—” I shake my head. I’m on the spot here, not sure whether to flee or beg. Neither idea appeals.
Of course, he doesn’t make it easy for me. He releases my elbows to put his hands on his hips, like I’m in trouble, and now I have to answer to him.
Screw this. I can’t work for him.
“Nothing. Nevermind. I have to go.” I try to move past him, but he moves to block my path.
“Hang on a second. Were you here to see me? Or did something happen?” He scans the restaurant with a scowl, as if to identify some mystery offender who was rude to me.
Shoot. Maybe I am supposed to ask him for a job. I mean, here he is, insisting I explain myself.
“Rafe, I—”
At the sound of his name, his gaze snaps back to mine, locking and honing in. When I nervously lick the lip gloss off my lips, his gaze dips to my mouth. A hungry expression comes over his face.
God, I’m hungry, too. And not for food.
Every time I’m near this guy, a slow thrum of awareness tunes up between my legs. His big body, hard and solid with muscle, his dark hair and eyes... I gaze up at him, and it’s all too easy to imagine what it would be like to be underneath him. He’d probably order me, as bossy and dominant in bed as he is out.
And wouldn’t that be delicious?
No, no, no. I absolutely do not want Rafe, naked and looming over me, telling me what to do. That would be terrible.
Gawd, my panties are soaked. Time to get this conversation back on track. I take a second to remember how much Rafe annoys me and raise my chin.
“Honestly?” I say. “I came to see if you, um, still needed help. You know, in the kitchen. I’m, ah, not going to be able to reopen The Chocolatier at the moment.”
Rafe goes still, his brows angled together in concern.
It’s way more of a reaction than I expected from him. I don’t know what I thought he’d do—blow me off or tell me to fill out an application. But instead, he grabs my hand and draws me further into the Grille. “Come here,” he says gruffly.
Meet Renee Rose
USA Today Bestselling Author Renee Rose loves a dominant, dirty-talking alpha hero! She’s sold over a million copies of steamy romance with varying levels of kink. Her books have been featured in USA Today’s Happily Ever After and Popsugar. Named Eroticon USA’s Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she has also won Spunky and Sassy’s Favorite Sci-Fi and Anthology author, and Romance Reviews Best Historical Romance. She’s hit the USA Today list ten times with her Chicago Bratva, Bad Boy Alpha, Wolf Ranch books, and various anthologies.
Meet Lee Savino Lee Savino has grandiose goals but most days can’t find her wallet or her keys so she just stays at home and writes. While she was studying creative writing at Hollins University, her first manuscript won the Hollins Fiction Prize.
he lives in the USA with her awesome family You can find her on Facebook in the Goddess Group (which you totally should join).
