Tag Archives: Dragons

Billionaire Dragon's Bride

Book Review of Billionaire Dragon’s Bride (Treasure Lane Dragons #1), by Anya Nowlan

Billionaire Dragon BrideOn a lark, I picked up a copy of Anya Nowlan‘s Billionaire Dragon’s Bride at Amazon when it was free:

Description from Goodreads:
He’s blazing hot and this dragon won’t take no for an answer. 

Devon Bluewing is a billionaire playboy like no other. Cocky, strong and sexy as hell, he’s used to getting anything and anyone he wants. But when it comes a time to step up and stand as the head of his family, and the dragon council of Treasure Lane, Devon is met with an inexplicable problem. He needs a mate or his whole legacy could be in jeopardy. Now, that doesn’t work at all for the fire-breathing bad boy, who’s used to getting his own way. 

Gemma Teeley can’t stand injustice. She’s sassy, smart as a whip and always ready to fight for what is right. So when the newest Bluewing heir decides to wrack up the taxes on her hometown, Gemma isn’t about to stand for it. But what she doesn’t know is that her fight against traditions might just get her into a whole lot of steamy trouble! The curvy, headstrong woman has all the fire of Devon, and when he gives her an ultimatum, they’re both in for more than they bargained for. 

Even if she’ll play along, it doesn’t mean that she’ll make it easy on him. But it isn’t just Devon whose making decisions for Gemma, and soon it becomes very clear that it’s not only Gemma’s pride that’s in danger of getting burned… 

Review:
There were dragons. I love dragons. They’re my favorite mythical shifter. But they weren’t enough to save this train wreck. Nope. For one (and most importantly for me) I went all over ragey at the just-force-her-and-she’ll-like-it-in-the-end plotline. I hate that in a book. I hate it on the whole, but also in the smaller scenes where a female character is justifiably angry and the man grabs her and forces an unwanted kiss on her and she then just melts and forgets she’s angry, because she wants him so bad. RAGE people, RAGE!

On the smaller scale the world isn’t defined. The characters aren’t developed and are both unpleasant. The plot is shallow, never even expanding far enough to allow minor things like family coming to the wedding, because that would require introducing new characters. The villain is evil just because he is. The file seems to have a lot of filler, as the story ends at 60%. It’s repetitive and needs more editing. I’m fairly sure no one says, ‘he cummed’ to explain the culmination of a sex act.

I did appreciate the dragon’s obsession with his hoard and how that played into what he perceived as courting and there was some humor.

Spirelli Paranormal Investigations

Book Review of Spirelli Paranormal Investigations, by Kate Baray

30238037I picked up a copy of Spirelli Paranormal Investigations (episodes 1-3), by Kate Baray, when it was free on Amazon.

Description from Goodreads:
Jack Spirelli, paranormal investigator, public debunker of paranormal frauds, and private fixer for the magic-using community has opened his doors.

Jack’s in a crunch. Since he went pseudo-public with Spirelli Paranormal Investigations, his business has sky-rocketed. Debunking the scum who prey on vulnerable targets makes up half his business now. And the rest of his time? Jack’s on speed dial with the Texas Lycan Pack, the Inter-Pack Policing Cooperative gives him an occasional ring, and anything that goes bump in the night might just call him with a job.

He needs an assistant, another investigator, and some additional muscle, but maybe the dragon who just walked in and applied will do for now.

Review:
I am on record saying I hate serializations. And it’s generally true. However, this is the sort of serial I can get behind. Each episode is a COMPLETE arc. Each is an investigation with a beginning, middle and END. So I never felt I’d wasted time on a story I was never going to see the conclusion or, which is how most serials make me feel. Praise the sweet little baby Heyzeus for that. While I didn’t find Jack or Marin deeply developed, I enjoyed them both and the way they played off each other. The world is interesting and the ‘investigations’ amusing. All in all, I call this a win.

dragon fall

Book Review of Dragon Fall, by Katie MacAlister

Dragon FallI borrowed a copy of Katie MacAlister‘s Dragon Fall from my local library.

Description from Goodreads:
YOU FLIRT WITH FIRE…

For Aoife Dakar, seeing is believing—and she’s seen some extraordinary things. It’s too bad no one else believes that she witnessed a supernatural murder at an outdoor fair. Returning to the scene for proof, Aoife encounters a wise-cracking demon dog—and a gloriously naked man who can shift into a dragon and kiss like a god. Now thrust into a fantastical world that’s both exhilarating and terrifying, Aoife is about to learn just how hot a dragon’s fire burns.

WHEN YOU DATE A DRAGON

Kostya has no time for a human woman with endless questions, no matter how gorgeous or tempting she is. He must break the curse that has splintered the dragon clans before more of his kind die. But his powerful attraction to Aoife runs much deeper than the physical—and there may be more to her than even his sharp dragon eyes can see. To survive the coming battle for the fate of his race, he needs a mate of true heart and soul . . 

Review:
Well, that was seriously disappointing; I mean basically complete tripe. There where aspects I appreciated, the POC main character that’s in her mid thirties should be a win. But instead she acted and spoke like a twelve-year-old. Seriously, using words/phrases like owie and four million variations of suffering succotash in otherwise terse situations! It was beyond unbearable. The dialogue was atrocious, there was no character development (and I didn’t even like any of them) and it ended without wrapping up.

number 11Additionally, and this is twice in two days I’ve had to have this rant, this book is labeled #1, but it’s actually first in a spin-off of another series, which it is #11 in. I would NEVER have picked up an 11th book in a series I haven’t read the first ten of. This pisses me off completely. Because I have come to the conclusion that authors/publishers do it to draw in readers just like me. ‘Won’t pick up a number 11? How about a first if I hide the fact that it’s actually number 11?’ While this author did a descent job filling in missing information by making the heroine clueless and ask a lot of questions, I very much felt my lack of reading the previous books and didn’t much enjoy it.