Review: The Dragon's Hunt

Read if you like: mythology, a new twist on paranormal, and characters with chemistry.

The Dragon's Hunt | Jane Kindred

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: December 1st
Pages: 304
Format: EBook
Source: Publisher, via Netgalley

By day, Leo Ström works as an assistant in a tattoo parlor. By night… Well, he isn't quite sure what happens at night. He just knows that it's best if he restrains himself. 

Ink is more than just superficial decoration to Rhea Carlisle. Her ability to read her clients' souls in their tattoos gives her work its special magic—and it allows her to see that there's more to Leo than his brilliant blue eyes. 

The passion that kindles between them might be Leo's salvation. Or it might be the end of the world…

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The first two thirds of this book? Awesome and interesting and seductive. The last half? I have NO IDEA what happened. I could not tell you.

But I did really enjoy most of this book, and I want to read the books with the side characters (especially Dev,  helloo Dev.) I really liked the main characters, Rhea and Leo, and I LOVE the tattoo sight, which was not what I expected of tattoo magic. The Viking element too is awesome, though I do wish it had hinted at it in the blurb. There are SO MANY old Norse words in this and I honestly can't remember one of them. At one point there were so many in a sentence, I just skipped ahead to a part I could understand. And like I said, I like Leo. He's fun and snarky and interesting but I couldn't for the life of me figure out why there were SIX versions of him. I feel the last few weren't explained well at all. So I got lost but I just sorta went with it and enjoyed the story.

What I liked was the magic, the vision parts, the characters and the romance. The Norse bits really confused me but I'd still recommend this book. I don't get why it's called The Dragon's Hunt though - there's a dragon in ONE scene. I kept waiting for dragons but nope. Vikings.

4 stars

Review: Royal Enchantment

Camelot Reborn: Royal Enchantment | Sharon Ashwood

Published by: Harlequin Nocturne, July 1st 2017

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Mythology

Pages: 304

Format: Ebook

Source: Harlequin Nocturne, via Netgalley

She married the king. She wanted the man. 

Guinevere's marriage to Arthur was a political partnership, never a romance. Merlin knows that the king's court, newly restored at a medieval theme park, will only be complete if Arthur has his lady. Little did anyone suspect that once Guinevere gets a taste of twenty-first-century freedoms that this ancient queen would lose interest in belonging to any man—even a royal one. 

It takes a dragon, and some passionate nights spent in each other's arms, to lure her back to her husband's side. Arthur is willing to accept Gwen's help in protecting the new Camelot from a fae menace, but the bigger challenge will be wooing back Guinevere for a second chance at love…

Oh hey, this was awesome.

I had some reservations in the beginning, when Arthur was (accurate to his era's attitudes, to be fair) controlling, belittling of Gwen, and an all-around DICK. But the best thing about this book by far is the GROWTH. These characters grow so much, Gwen from a downtrodden woman who has no voice to a woman who talks up for herself and takes action despite the restrictions placed on her, and Arthur from a domineering, controlling prick to a man who listens, learns, and does better. Honestly, I love how flawed they are. Their relationship is a real one - messy, hurtful, and ultimately hard won and hopeful and fulfilling. The writing is exceptional, and made the love, the hurt, (and yeah, the awesome fantasy elements) so vivid and real.

To touch on the fantasy an action parts of this book (of which there were SO MANY MORE than I expected, which I loved), there's so much myth and legends and awesome creatures packed into this - it's exciting from page one. Arthurian legend, a theme park, dragons, fae, and knights, all packed into modern day times. One of the things I love about romance series is I can (like I did with this book) come into the series at any book, but I really want to read the first two of this series!!

Fantasy, mythology, and vividly real romance make this book stand out. I loved it!

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆

Review: Angel Unleashed

Angel Unleashed  | Linda Thomas-Sundstrom

Published by: Harlequin Nocturne, April 1st 2017

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Mythology

Pages: 304

Format: Ebook

Source: Harlequin Nocturne, via Netgalley

A fine line between vengeance and desire… 

As an immortal Blood Knight, Rhys de Troyes is familiar with quests. It's obvious that the ethereal beauty who just arrived in London is on one of her own. But Avery Arcadia Quinn seems intent on keeping her secrets, even as Rhys strips away all her defenses. 

A grounded angel, Avery seeks to recover the wings stolen from her centuries ago when the Knights were created from her suffering and pain. She swore vengeance, but her burning connection with Rhys threatens to consume her anger, her mission…and even her vow to destroy him.

This was not what I expected - it was SO MUCH better.

Urban fantasy and romance blended with all my favourite parts of Arthurian legend.  I want to read the author's other books - that's how much I enjoyed this. There was a bit of instalove, which is to be expected of the genre - but I kept expecting the big reveal that they were together in the past, before Rhys had died, and his memories of that had been lost too. But that didn't happen.

I loved a whole lot about this - great world building and setting (yay, London!), interesting characters (the MC is no damsel), and secrets that make this story even better. I want to read more in this world!

The only things that really bugged me were I thought it went on too long, there were SO MANY action scenes basically one after the other, and Avery didn't really defend herself in the beginning (Rhys came to her rescue A LOT when she could have handled it.)

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆