Flippin' Pages Book Reviews

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon by Kerrelyn Sparks

Series: The Embraced, #3

Release Date: March 27, 2018

Gwennore is the 3rd “sister” of the Embraced from the Isle of Moon, she is Elven, but this doesn’t stop her sisters from trying to find a match for her.

While avoiding her matchmaking sisters and rude courtiers, she slips away with Luciana’s daughter Eviana to pick flowers. Far away from the others, they become easy prey when a dragon swoops down and snatches Eviana. Gwen is not letting her go without a fight and grabs the dragon as it is flying away. When the dragon shakes her loose, she is caught and saved by another dragon. This is when she learns that she can communicate with dragons, her dragon tells her he will return her and Eviana unharmed, but she must be patient. Gwen asks the dragon’s name and when he doesn’t respond, she names him Puff. The dragon sets her down on the ground near Eviana and tells her to trust the General.

Gwen and Eviana are escorted to the palace by guards and the Queen Freya announces that Eviana is her daughter. When Gwen touches the Queen her gift activates and she learns the Queen is being poisoned and is dying and going mad. The Queen demands that Gwen be arrested and thrown in the dungeon, Gwen calls out to Puff but just then, the most gorgeous man Gwen has ever seen arrives and saves her – General Silas Dravenko

Gwen and Eviana are taken to the nursery and everyone believes that Gwen is Silas’ mistress, she is shown a room and while she is changing she sees the sifter Brody, she lets him in her room and tells him what has happened. Silas enters and tells Brody that he will return them tomorrow, but he begs Gwen to stay and help save the Queen and his people.

Gwen agrees, but is not happy that everyone thinks they are lovers, Silas flirts shamelessly with her and she doesn’t believe that he is sincere as she has always been shunned for her heritage. But as they work together, Gwen begins to believe that he does accept her, but Silas has many secrets and she doesn’t know if she can trust her heart to him. When they learn that the poisoning of the Queen may lead back to the Chameleon, secrets will have to be revealed and Gwen will have to decide if she can forgive Silas for his deception or walk away and return to her sisters.

This is a wonderful story, but before these two get their HEA there will be tons of witty dialogue, excellent secondary characters, lots of secrets, shocking twists, trolls, dragons, shifters, surprise revelations, new villains joining old villains, some tears and a couple of steamy love scenes.

This is the third book in the series and while it can be read as a stand alone, it is best to read the series in order. I knocked off a 1/2 star for modern verbiage – which may or may not be fair – this is a fantasy world but the author portrays it as a medieval type world, so when a heroine wearing a gown, worrying about her reputation being ruined, while in a castle lit by candles spews out phrases like – hitched a ride, jump his bones and I’m pissed – it seems out of place. But please don’t let a little modern verbiage stop you from reading this series – it is fantastic!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*

The Undercover Duke by Jess Michaels

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The 1797 Club #6
Publication Date: 3/27/18

Another winning read in Jess Michael’s 1797 Club series. This one is slightly different simply because we have never met this particular member of the club before and the members of the club don’t show up at all until we’re about half-way through the book. That was kind of nice because we got the opportunity to know the main characters before we started interacting with the other members of the club. That said, I think I would have enjoyed a bit more active participation from the club rather than them playing a pretty passive role.

Lucas Vincent, Duke of Willowby, had a very unhappy life. Both of his parents hated him and he had no idea why until he was about sixteen. Then, everything blew apart. Luckily for him, he had made friends with a number of other future dukes when he started school. Almost all of them have horrible parents and they banded together to help each other through life. When Lucas was eighteen, his father died and Lucas became the duke. Lucas wanted no part of the duchy and he started to work for the Crown as a spy. He had determined that it was his destiny to die in the field and he cut all ties with his friends in order to protect them – from enemies who wanted to harm him and from any grief they might suffer on his demise.

Diana Oakford lost her mother when she was very young and had only her father left in her life. He was a gifted physician who was tasked with taking care of her country’s spies. When her father dies on a mission, she is heartbroken beyond belief. She is a gorgeous woman with dark hair and full lips and the most spectacular jade colored eyes and she is also a healer like her father

Lucas was on a very, very secret mission trying to capture a traitor who had caused the deaths of several spies and had also stolen secrets and sold them to the enemy. The worst part – that traitor is one of their very own spies. When Lucas sees George Oakford (Diana’s father) peeking from behind some shrubbery, he is surprised, but pleased to have some aid. Then, as Lucas is beginning to climb up the trellis to enter the house and capture the spy, shots ring out. Lucas is hit in the leg, loses his balance and falls, then another shot – and another. Lucas stirs to consciousness for a second and sees the dead body of George Oakford beside him. Grief! Then blackness.

Lucas’ injuries were grave and he wasn’t recovering well after six months. His wounds were not healing up as they should and his pain was almost unbearable. The Earl of Stalwood, Lucas’ boss, and head spymaster, needed Lucas back in action and he wanted to help his friend, so he approached Diana Oakford to take over Lucas’ treatment. Stalwood seemed to think that it might give both of them a chance to heal – Lucas from his injuries and guilt over the death of George and Diana from the loss of her father.

The attraction between Lucas and Diana is instant and it doesn’t take them long to get down to business – like rabbits. I thought that all happened a bit too quickly but I liked them as a couple. They complimented each other very well. Once they shared their deepest and darkest secrets they became even more invested in each other. Diana doesn’t trust men though and when she feels Lucas has betrayed secrets, she leaves him.

For me personally, I would have liked for the book to be just a bit longer and to include more action by the club members. The addition of an epilogue would have been good – maybe to be six months or so after the wedding and maybe show some development between Lucas and his mother. Another thing I would have liked to have seen is what happened to the family of Boyd Caldwell. I know what happened to George and would have liked to know if a similar fate befell Boyd’s family since it befell Diana.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the series is wonderful. I can highly recommend it.

The other books in the series are:
The Daring Duke #1
Her Favorite Duke #2
The Broken Duke #3
The Silent Duke #4
The Duke of Nothing #5

Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview

“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”

Share this:

Share this: