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 … 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.
more
Great read! Who wouldn’t want a sexy dragon shifter with so many secrets as a soul mate? Eight Simple Rules was exactly what I needed to escape into the world of paranormal happy-ever-afters for a while. Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down.
While I’m a long-time fan of Kerrlyn Sparks (Love at Stake series, I’m looking at you), this was the first of her Embraced books I’ve read. Now I have another series to devour.
I had to force myself to read this book, repeatedly. I would start and loose interest, put it away for awhile, then try again. I got to the point that I gave it a final chance. Well, I am glad I did. Once I got into the story and the characters everything else fell into place.
This is a paranormal romance set in an alternate reality and world. The people living there are born with powers that emerge depending on when/where they were born. Elves are looked upon as lower than low and class division is in full swing. There are shifters and an assortment of other paranormal creatures in the book, too. All of these things add up to a richly detailed world full of interesting characters and secondary characters.
I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, after I get done reading the first two in the series.
I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me a galley of this book.
This is the third book in the ‘Embraced’ series and although this book earned a 4 star rating from me instead of 5 stars like the other books, it was still a good read. Ms. Sparks knows how to create intrigue, mystery and romance between Silas and Gwennore. Gwennore has the power to detect illness and she agrees to try and help General Silas Dravenko even after being kidnapped by a dragon. Gwen does her best to not succumb to the charms of “General Gorgeous” as she names him. Silas has never met a woman who stirs his passion like Gwen. He respects her gift as she tries to unravel an ancient ‘curse’ affecting his people, but he never wants to let her go and wants the beautiful elf for his own.
I liked Silas especially his sense of humor that keeps Gwen on her toes. I would have enjoyed more scenes of these two getting to know each other, but overall this was a fun read. I can’t wait to see what the next ‘Embraced’ sister’s story will be. Fans of romance and dragons will enjoy this story.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
A fun take on dragon shifters in an imaginative world. Filled with interesting characters, and a breezy love story, this light book touches on themes of acceptance and prejudice in ways that are meaningful without being heavy handed.
I love books about dragon shifters and their mates!! A fun, easy to read book that takes my mind off all the craziness in our world! Enjoy this one! well worth reading
Really funny book and wonderful characters. I enjoyed the story tremendously look forward to reading more from this author.
I usually won’t read a series book out of order; but, I love dragon-shifter books. I enjoyed this one so much, that I bought the rest of the series, as soon as I finished this one.
Hands down, my favorite of the series so far! I mean I was done for when this centered on dragons and elves! I absolutely loved Silas and Gwen! Silas was just so much fun and so determined. And their banter! So much back and forth. Silas was a real charmer and he had no problem letting Gwen know how he felt. These books are just so delightful and they always manage to put a smile on my face. I also continue to be madly in love with Brody and can’t wait to finally get to his book. He is the best. So all in all another excellent book in this series and I can’t wait for more.
Fantastic! Wish she would write more in this series!
Gwenmore is an elf although she really doesn’t know much about her heritage. She has adopted sisters whom she loves and they are all protective of each other.
Silas is a dragon and sometimes he wishes he wasn’t.
A curse is the issue.
Gwen is stolen by a dragon and all kinds of things happen.
Can Silas keep this woman once she knows what he is?
I have not read any other stories in this series but I do enjoy other books by this author and this book was no exception.
I thought Gwen and Silas made an unlikely pair, but in the end it was their hilarious banter and family loyalty that won me over! I think the plot was decent and found most of the characters to be very engaging. Overall, this fantasy read was lighthearted, comedic, and very entertaining!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4.5 stars
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*
Simply, WOW! It’s been a while since I’ve read Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre, and boy am I glad that I did! I was hooked in the book from the first chapter. The plot was great, the pace was spot on, and the characters can be invested in very easily. Gwen’s dedication to her family is without fault, and when she sacrifices her personal safety to try and save her niece, she has no idea what she’s getting into. There’s drama, there’s twists, there’s humor, there’s a love story, and there’s a happy ending. I could not have picked up a better book to capture my attention, and made me not want to put it down. I love this book and will definitely read the rest in the series, because I want to know the story of the rest of them!
Another amazing addition to this series. I really enjoyed Gwennore and Silas’s story. I really loved the kingdom of Norveshki and its unique inhabitants.
I can’t wait to see what happens with the next sister.
I prefer to get the negatives out of the way first. I found 2 typos in my copy. They are minor & did not interfere with the story nor its flow. There’s a couple of areas that felt a bit rushed. I felt more adventure and danger could have been detailed. I also didn’t like certain areas about the queen and kings relationship to Gwennore. For me it was just a bit to convenient. I would’ve liked the confrontation between the king & the villain to have a bit more detail. Just more…..
Now to the ‘Nitty Gritty’
I had a blast reading this one. It was full of humor and mystery. The main characters, Gwennore & Silas, were fun to read about. They definitely had a lot of obstacles to deal with. While I wished at times that Gwennore was a bit more confidante in herself, watching her courage mature was well worth it. Silas is a blast, and I’m not just talking about his dragon fire. His wit and his confidence in Gwennore is refreshing. The world build was great. The main characters from the previous books are a part of this story and we get to see how their lives have changed. While there isn’t a lot of ‘sex’ scenes in this book, there are a few beautiful and funny make-out sessions. Then the ‘main event’ between Gwennore & Silas is hot, sweet and romantic.
The way this story is written it is safe to say even young adults (say 15 or so & up), depending on their maturity, would really enjoy this series. In fact, I would recommend this entire series to everyone who enjoys a well written and great fantasy world story. They are fun and entertaining with plenty of action and adventure.
Rule number 1: When a Dragon takes you for a ride, hold on tight and never let go.
Alright, to start off, this is book three in a series. I didn’t know this when I got my hands on the book. Figured it out very quickly, however. As a positive note, it worked just fine as a standalone, but I will be going back and reading the first two so the little blanks are all filled in. I’ll try not to spoil too much of the book, just give an overview.
When I got the book, I figured I was picking up the typical ‘forbidden because we’re enemies’ romance novel (which I love, let me say); as it turns out, I got that AND comedy. I was blown away by the humor that was presented in this book. I absolutely love it! The big, bad ass dragon isn’t some dark and broody lout (though he tries REAL hard sometimes to be), but someone full of humor and good nature. A choice I didn’t expect, certainly, but that I found I loved.
To set the stage a bit… There are 5 gifted girls all raised together in a convent away from most of the world. The first two books were for one of the sisters each to find the loves of their lives and become queens. This third is about Gwennore, the only elf of the five girls who’s gift is being able to know someone’s ailment (ALL of that someone’s ailments, actually) simply from touching them.
She winds up ‘accidentally’ kidnapped by dragons who take her to their queen who just so happens to be both mad and dying. General Silas is Gwen’s counterpart in all of this, and starts off as her only support in this strange world she finds herself in. Quickly, however, Gwen gathers to her many friends and allies and grows into her own shoes while she helps look for a cure for both the madness plaguing this country’s sovereigns and the infertility of the entire population.
We meet several dragons, some lovely trolls, talking trees, and a few crazy people along the way, and the story is a fun ride from start to finish (see rule #1). Though it can be read alone, it’s obvious this is part of a series and there is an overarching story plot. Characters from the first books play an active roll in this third installment, and not just as flashbacks.
I received an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.
The embraced series by Kerrelyn Sparks should not be overlooked by the reader who likes a little fantasy with their romance. This series is absolutely awesome. This book, the third in the series, is my favorite so far. ‘s. Sparks is a very talented writer, so much so that you believe the characters and settings are real. Her imagination seems to know no bounds, although there is a common thread in the books, each is very different from the others. Five embraced children are raised on the Isle of Moon, separated from their birth families, though very different from each other, raised as sisters. This is Gwennore`s story. An elf, she is often scorned and nor accepted by others except her sisters and their families. When she and her sister`s daughter are taken by dragons, her adventure begins. The story is fast paced, loaded with intrigue and danger. Will Gwen find acceptance and love in the land of the dragons? What is the secret the dragons are keeping? Whole heartedly I can say this is one of the best series I have read. I don’t want them to end.
Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon, book 3, The Embraced series by kerrlyn Sparks. This was my first book for this series But Not my first book for author Kerrelyn Sparks. I am excited to read books 1 and 2. Also, I agree that reading this series in order should be the way. I started with this book and WILL catch up and be ready for the next installment. Kerrelyn Sparks takes readers on a fun adventure. Entertaining readers from the beginning. Keeping them hooked with this creative storyline. And returning for each/any additional installment. Masterful world building. Wonderful characters. Looking forward to many more ‘visits’ to and with. And any new characters not yet met. I received this book as an ARC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. I am voluntarily posting this review. Remember book 1, How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days and book 2, So I Married a Sorcerer, the beginning of this series…The Embraced.
A unique fantasy romance. This is a completely different world from any I’ve read before. She has created something amazing. This was the first in this series I picked up, but I’ve already ordered the past two. Once I got about a quarter of the way in, I hard a hard time putting this book down. A must read!
Silas is a very defensive man, “would you stop calling him Puff? He’s a war dragon, for Light’s sake.” I think Silas takes pleasure in embarassing his woman, “with a groan, Gwennore pulled the sheet over her face. “That’s my snookums,” he teased. “Always trying to sneak a peek at the crown jewels.” With a huff, she lowered the sheet and scowled at him.” I don’t understand why Silas is getting all in a tizzy, the man can’t be jealous of himself, but it seems that way, “…she’d trampled all over his traumatized heart by declaring Puff the real hero. She’d called the general a jokester, a man who wasn’t to be taken seriously. Dammit to heck! How could she dismiss him like that? Was that any way to treat a man she was attracted to? He strode into the southern wing, then darted up the stairs, two at a time, headed for her bedchamber. She was going to take him seriously.” Silas doesn’t like interruptions especially if they disturb him when he’s with his lady, “dammit to heck,” Silas growled. Gwen’s hands shook as she refastened her clothes. “Wait here.” He adjusted his too-tight breeches and strode toward the door.” I loved this book, I love this author’s writing she knows how to write memorable characters that stick with you