I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon (The Embraced, #3) by Kerrelyn Sparks Series: The Embraced #3
Published by St Martins Pr on March 27th 2018
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 448
Goodreads
Rule Number One: When a dragon takes you for a ride, hold on tight and never let go.
FINAL DECISION: Romance, political intrigue and a big dose of humor make this book particularly enjoyable to read. The focus here is more on the mystery of what is going on, but I really enjoyed the humor combined with the romance with Silas and Gwen.
THE STORY: As one of the Embraced (those born with magical powers), Gwenmore becomes enmeshed in political intrigue and curses when she is abducted by a dragon when protecting a young girl. An elf, Gwen has the curious ability to hear the dragons. That talent, plus another one, makes her valuable to General Silas Dravenko, who is trying to prove that misdeeds and not curses are what threaten his people. He intends to use Gwen to find the danger, but he is slowly seduced by the elf — who should be an enemy but shatters all his walls.
OPINION: I really enjoyed the tone of this book. The book isn’t a comedy, but it has a lighthearted and fun tone and made me smile.
A great portion of the book is about the mystery and political intrigue going on. i thought that story was really strong. Readers of the series will see that the stakes are rising and what is going on in the shadows is becoming more dangerous and blatant. But the end game still remains a mystery.
While I ultimately enjoyed the romance, I did think the beginning was too instant love, but thankfully the relationship is given some time to develop. Still things happen quickly. But the humor between Silas and Gwen make it all worth it. I loved their interactions which were sexy and funny at the same time.
There is a refreshing vulnerability for each of these characters. Silas has a tender heart even with his strength and cleverness. I also liked how Gwen grows during the story as she gains confidence and takes on a more active role in her own life.
The book has a similar basic storyline as the others in the series, but the individual flourishes mean that this book is not repetitive. Also — dragons.
Even three books into the series, I still want to see more of these characters. There are still a bunch of mysteries left to be revealed.
WORTH MENTIONING: The ongoing story about the Chameleon is picked up and continued in this book.
CONNECTED BOOKS: EIGHT SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING A DRAGON is the third book in the Embraced series. While the romance in this book is self contained, there are overarching relationships that make this book better read as part of the series.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to prepare a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.