Kerrelyn Sparks

EIGHT SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING A DRAGON “Deeply satisfying, delightfully swoon-inducing.”—Publishers Weekly on Kerrelyn Sparks’s Love at Stake series TRUTH—OR DARE? Gwennore is an Elf able to track down the cause of a certain illness and heal it—a valuable asset to her people. But when she is thrust into the realm of the dragons, she discovers a haunted place of power, passion, and magic—one that is plagued by an ancient curse. When she meets the smoldering General Silas Dravenko, Gwen knows she’s entered a whole new world of trouble. She’s been raised never to trust a dragon. So why does making a deal with the devil feel so good? Silas has no way of saving the royal family he’s served for years. But when a beautiful, innocent elf comes bursting into his world, Silas is awakened to desire in a way he’s never felt before. But how can he trust a sworn enemy. . .and how can he live without her, in Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon by New York Times bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks.

A Novel of the Embraced

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon

Lover of Romance 

This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from St. Martins Press in exchange for 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 is a story that I have been looking forward to for a YEAR and so to say that I was excited is putting it mildly. Now I won't say that I loved this book as much as book two (which is still my favorite book this author has ever written) but there was so MUCH goodness in this book. And quite frankly, I was so mad that this book was only 400 pages...it honestly just wasn't long enough for me, I mean seriously people...I breezed through this book in like 2 hours....I never read that quickly but I definitely read this one in one sitting and before I realized it the story was over and I didn't want it to be.

So in book two So I Married A Sorcerer we get glimpses of the dragons and the realm that they live in, which they are super secretive anyway. But I was so intrigued by these "dragons" and most especially their general and future heir Silas Dravenko. This book starts out with our heroine who is Gwenmore. She is Elf and as such she is looked at by main with disdain and really dislike as a whole. But somehow she is next to find her "husband' according to her group of friends and adopted sisters. But she doesn't really believe in it. While playing with Luciana's young daughter, who gets kidnapped by a real fire breathing dragon, Gwenmore does what she has to and jumps a ride with the dragon. And when he kicks her off and she almost is killed, she is saved by another dragon, one that she can understand and one she bonds with on an intimate level without realizing who he really is.

They are taken to the realm of the dragons and the people who live in this hidden kingdom. A kingdom that has a King and Queen that are mentally disturbed and being poisoned. The people are suffering from a curse that has lasted for hundreds of years. But Gwenmore is a healer, and she knows the sciences of medicines and believes that she can help including helping them evade a war with Luciana and her husband.

It soon becomes apparent that the castle is full of dangers especially with an enemy that is poisoning the royal family and it is up to Gwen to discover why and who and to help put a stop at it so the country can heal from this "curse" that is plaguing them. But they meet up with the "circle of the five" including the chameleon they fought in book two but never defeated. And the man he takes the image and station of is NOT someone you would ever expect. I was really intrigued with this side plot of danger and intrigue that this "circle" is playing.

We learn more about Gwen's true heritage and that she is more than what she seems to be. And we see why she truly feels at home in the realm of the dragons and that her "dragon" is the man she is falling for, the future king of the realm of the Dragons. And boy the chemistry between these two is powerful. I just loved their sweet slow burning connecting that builds in this story. It honestly wasn't quite what I expected, since its slow but intense at the same time. You just become hooked on their romance and seeing their story just bloom in its own way.
"My love for you will burn like an eternal flame deep in my chest"

She stifled a laugh. That sounds like a bad case of heartburn.

"I heard that." A puff of smoke shot from his nostrils as he huffed. "You think it's easy to confess how much I love you? You give it a try. "

We see how much this country has been suffering for so many years with fear in their hearts all the time, and I love that once Gwen enters into it, things just start to fall into place and we see some healing that begins. Especially when we learn about her parents and see her kind and gentle spirit just learn to blossom and grow stronger in this story. I felt such a kinship to the characters here and seeing both Silas and Gwen grow together and also start to rebuild a country that needs some true joy and healing. They make such a great team and work so in sync without even realizing that they are doing it.
Rule number eight: There is only one mate for a dragon, and he will love her forever.
I found this story to be a breathtaking installment into a world that is captivating and thrilling in the only way that Sparks can pen a tale....a TRUE JEWEL!!

Lauren Sullivan

This is one of those silly, fluffy paranormal/fantasy romances. We’ve got a misunderstood virgin heroine, a cinnamon-rolly General, a 500-year-old curse, insta-love, and dragons.I used to devour these like candy, but it’s not quite my thing any longer. This is the third in the Embraced series, and while each story could be read as a standalone, I think it’d work better if you read the series in order.

First off, I did enjoy the book. There are aspects of it that are quite fun, from the secondary characters like Annika and Dimitri – and Brody, I love Brody!, to the dating rules, to the trolls. There are other parts, however, that made the book a bit of a chore to get through, and I finished feeling rather unsatisfied.

To start off with, the plot is very predictable. If you’ve read the previous books in the series, you know exactly what’s going to happen, who the bad guy is, etc. I enjoyed the beginning – Luciana’s young daughter is kidnapped by a dragon, and Gwennore manages to get herself caught as well and taken to Norveshka, where, oh look, there’s something seriously wrong with this king and queen, too. Gwennore’s Embraced ability lets her be a sort of walking medical diagnostic kit – by touching someone in certain places, she can tell if they’re sick or injured. She immediately realizes that the queen who everyone believes is suffering from a curse is actually being poisoned. Of course, Silas, the general who comes to her rescue when the queen tries to have her thrown in the dungeons, believes her, and asks her to stay and solve the mystery of a curse that’s been plaguing the country for 500 years. And, of course!, that’s not the only reason he wants her to stay – they’re already halfway to insta-love after their first meeting.

“I will always love you, Gwennore, whether we’re flooded with rain or shining as brilliant as the stars.
She smiled. ‘That’s lovely. Thank you.’
My love for you will burn like an eternal flame deep in my chest.
She stifled a laugh. That sounded like a bad case of heartburn.
I heard that. A puff of smoke shot from his nostrils as he huffed. You think it’s easy to confess how much I love you? You give it a try.”

Unfortunately, I found the romance rather lacking as well. I loved the flirting between Gwennore and Silas – including the silly dating rules. I think Silas and Gwennore were at their best during these interactions, both as a couple and separately. But, Gwennore kept blowing hot and cold and honestly I half-wished Silas would throw up his hands and walk away. Literally, she slammed doors in his face multiple times rather than, I don’t know, actually dealing with her emotions or having an actual conversation with him. I’m not a fan of the “I’m so innocent that I can’t deal with my LUST so instead I must treat you like crap” trope, and sadly this strayed into that territory more than once. It just doesn’t feel like romance to me, and it was frustrating that all the work for the relationship fell squarely on Silas’ shoulders. Whenever one person in a relationship is doing all the work (and I don’t care what their gender is), and the other person is continuously rejecting them in a hurtful way, that’s not very romantic, in my eyes. Eventually, Gwennore gives in, and the relationship seemed to take a better turn from there, but since that happens at the end of the book, there’s not much time to enjoy it, since most of the chemistry between earlier in the book was ruined for me by Gwennore’s childish actions.

Even the internal conflict of Gwennore learning to love herself – despite everyone else hating her because she looks like an elf – fell flat for me. She seemed to take two steps forward and one step back, and most of the time it seemed like Silas (or someone else) was standing up for her in lieu of her doing it for herself. I accepted that a couple of nobles from Luciana’s kingdom would be snots to her, but to have pretty much the entire castle in Norveshka against her after just a few hours? It was a bit over the top, and seemed to happen just to give her an excuse to continue treating Silas like crap (“I like him, but if we’re together, everyone will hate him, too!”) which makes no sense because the way they explained Gwennore’s continued presence in the castle is that she and Silas are having an affair, so whatever “tarnish” would’ve happened to his reputation would already be there!

Over all, while I’ve enjoyed reading the series, overall, I think this is the weakest so far, and I’m not sure I’ll be picking up the next one. If you love fluffy paranormals and dragon shifters, though, you will probably enjoy this book!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Nicola Sarah Brooks

Elves, dragons, cute as button kiddos and sisters who may not be blood related but are most definitely family!

Gwen always feels on the back foot with her sisters new lives now. They are now both married and queens no less. But their kingdoms have a bit of a history with Woodwyn, the kingdom of Elves she comes from. Her sisters couldn't care less about her genetics but their courtiers have been rather mouthy in their disapproval of her.

But when a big ass dragon swoops down out of the sky and snatches up her niece, Gwennie goes along for the ride to keep the tot safe. When she literally falls into the claws of "Puff" she nearly freaks out but he soon makes it known that he is a differently tempered dragon! 

Silas can't believe what his "dragon" is up to. Talking telepathically with an Elf! One who is related to the young kidnapped princess no less! His queen may be in dire straits but kidnapping children is a step too far. But he knows that Gwennie is his mate, even though he won't admit it to himself. So he enjoys tormenting her with the rules to dating a dragon - I'm pretty sure he makes them up as he goes LOL.

Gwennie and Silas are a great match. I loved who as the story unfolds Gwennie is left looking at herself through Silas eyes and not seeing herself as lacking or in any way inferior to her sisters. She is brave, caring and willing to use her gift to help someone who wants to string her up as a witch and an Elf. Silas and his fellow soldiers are a breath of fresh air and really great camaraderie together. He can be possessive and overbearing at times but also playful and sweet, especially with the young princess.

The Chameleon is back causing havoc with his trickster ways and a kingdom may just fall! Lots of great secondary characters, especially Brodie. I'm hoping he will get his own HEA eventually!

Great mix of humour, sexy encounters and well written storyline.

Jolie

First off, I want to comment on the model for the cover of the book. Can we say “Yum?” He is what I pictured Silas would look like. Thank you to whoever had to good sense to choose this model. He will help boost sales on this book.

I had an “Oops, I did it again” type of hiccup when I signed up to review this book on NetGalley. Usually, if I get the hint that the book is part of series, I look it up on Goodreads and make my decision. As it turns out, I didn’t see the “A novel of the Embraced” on the blurb that NetGalley puts up. Or the series list that Goodreads has. I was distracted when accepting this book. I am glad I did. Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon was a great read. I did get lost with some of the references made about the plotlines of the earlier books and the Chameleon.

The plotline for Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon was interesting. Gwennore is an Elf who was raised on a secret island with 4 other girls. They all have had the misfortune of being born when the two moons of their world eclipse. Any child who is born when that happens is born with a magical power.

Gwennore was watching her adopted sister’s 3-year-old daughter when a dragon suddenly appears and snatches the toddler up. Gwennore clings to the dragon in a desperate attempt to rescue her. After being thrown from the dragon and being caught by another, Gwennore is brought to the land of Novreshka. A land that is dangerous. A land that Gwennore will fight for her life, to get to the bottom of an ancient curse, to heal the people of Novreshka, and for the love of a man who has many secrets. What Gwennore doesn’t know is that her secrets, secrets that have been hidden from her, could be the undoing of everything that she has fought so hard for.

I liked Gwennore even though I felt bad for her. She was not accepted outside of her sisters because she was an Elf. That whole scene with those Lords made me mad. She was too sweet to even stick up for herself and she refused to let Brody shift and bite them. I did think that when she spoke Novreshkaish, it was a little odd. But when she told Silas where she learned it from, I laughed. She was speaking like they did centuries before. I liked that she was willing to do anything to find a cure for the curse that was affecting Novreshka. I figured out her parentage fairly early in the book. I did think it took her a little longer to figure out the connection between Puff and Silas. I figured it out before her…lol.

I loved Silas. I thought he was awesome the entire book. He would do anything for his family. But if it crossed a line, which kidnapping Gwennore’s niece did, he was willing to right the wrong. He was such a mystery in the first half of the book. I liked how the author gradually leaked his background. His biggest secret, though, I guessed halfway through the book. I like it when the main character can make me laugh. Silas certainly did. He was a cheeky bugger.

There is Instalove in Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon. I don’t like Instalove. I know most people do but I like a believable romance. One where the love is built up. Not one where all it takes is one look and bam, you are in love. Strangely, it does work in Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon. But just because it works, doesn’t mean I will start liking Instalove.

The chemistry between Gwennore and Silas was off the charts off. The author did a great job of maintaining that spark between them until they had sex. And let me tell you about the sex. Holy crap was it good. Silas couldn’t have picked a better place to deflower Gwennore. At their version of the North Pole, under the Northern lights. It was beautiful and unbelievably sexy.

What I didn’t like was that past books were referenced. While the author did a great job of following up with an explanation about what the characters were talking about, I still felt that I was out of the loop.

I loved how the author kept the secret of the dragons a secret until almost the end of the book. Saying that I did guess the secret halfway through the book. I also liked how the author connected that secret to the issues that had befallen the kings and queens. It made for a very interesting read.

The end of the book was not what I expected. It was a bittersweet ending. Silas’s happiness was tempered by something that happened towards the end of the book. The author ended Silas and Gwennore’s romance in a way that satisfied me. But she didn’t end all the storylines. She left enough leeway that you know there will be a book 4. I am wondering if it will be Maeve or Sorcha???

What I liked about Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon:

A) Fun, flirty storyline

B) Gwennore and Silas’s romance

C) Plot twists were kept secret until they were revealed

What I didn’t like about Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon:

A) 3rd book in a series

B) Instalove

C) Past books were referenced and leaving me confused

I would give Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon an Adult rating. This is a book that I wouldn’t let anyone under the age of 21 read. There are explicit sex and violence. No language. There is one scene where a man is pushed into a boiling hot spring and boiled alive. I didn’t easily get that scene out of my mind.

There are trigger warnings in this book. They would be: kidnapping, murder and attempted murder. If you are triggered by any of these, I would suggest not to read the book.

I would recommend Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon to family and friends. I would include a warning about the triggers. I would reread this book and I would happily read the rest of the series.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Paperbacks, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon.

All opinions stated in this review of Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon A Novel of the Embraced

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