Grimbold Drake, influential patriarch of the Drake family, revels in his solitary life of order—a life which is thrown into chaos when his son pays him an unexpected visit, bringing with him a broken but gorgeous young man more than a millennium Grimbold’s junior. A man Grimbold instantly finds himself yearning to fix, to protect, and to claim. Meek, subservient, and eager to please, Wally Brand … Wally Brand doesn’t doubt the tales he’s been told of the cruel and deceitful Amethyst clan, so when he’s forcibly taken from his home and entrusted to Grimbold Drake—the most powerful Amethyst dragon of all—he knows he won’t be long for this world. Only there’s a gleam in Grimbold’s eyes when he looks Wally’s way and a tenderness to his touch that Wally can’t understand.
All he knows is one thing: whether Grimbold means him harm or not, if he can be good to his dragon captor, maybe, just maybe, he’ll get out of this mess alive.
Swallow is a 30,000 word steamy omegaverse mpreg-ish romance set following the events of the Forbidden Desires series. It contains a broken young man who badly needs love, a curmudgeonly dragon with a heart of gold, new nicknames, familiar faces, and the sweetest dog known to dragonkind. For maximum enjoyment, Swallow is best read as a companion piece to the Forbidden Desires series.
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In this first of the Forbidden Desires Spin-Off stories, the Drake family patriarch gets an opportunity to learn what damage can occur when allowing the clans to fully govern themselves unchecked. It seems fate had something special for ‘daddy Drake’ in the form of an omega discovered amongst the ‘fractured’ Topaz camp. Wally, like many other ‘disgraces’, had been verbally, emotionally, and physically abused. Amethyst Grimbold Drake feels guilty because his leadership of the council did not mandate regulating the care and treatment of omegas in the Pedigree for each dragon clan.
Pappa Drake gains custody of the beautiful young omega Wally who had been trained to believe in the villainy of the Amethyst clan.
Poor Wally is undoubtedly confused about the kindness, gentleness, and compassion he receives from the Grimbold. Being meek, subservient, and eager to please, he soon responses to Grimbold nurturing. Though suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, Grimbold’s care minimizes the worse of Wally’s symptoms. At a later point, he comes to realize he isn’t bound for a miserable death. He becomes a cherished, well-loved companion to Grimbold that is accepted by others of the Amethyst clan.
This is an extremely effective, very touching novella that does so much in furthering the world-building of the Forbidden Desires universe. It is particularly pleasing that the authors thought to include the patriarch in the transformative mate bonding that will improve the dragons’ chances of growing their numbers. There is other rather effective character development that occurs in the story that strengthening the series as a whole. The writers continue with a cohesion for the series that is truly astounding.
**********Contains Spoilers**********
I really enjoyed this book. You don’t need to read the Forbidden Desires series to understand this book but you should as it will give you a back story of what’s happened in the universe and who all the characters are. It was cool to see the more human side of Grimbold when he found his mate in Walter. as in the previous books he didn’t seem close to his sons and seemed disappointed in when they found their and he seemed rather harsh and unforgiving especially if they broke draconian law. Grimbold now has a chance to love and to do right by the omega he wants unlike his sons mother who he can’t even remember her name (he’s over 1000 years old) and was basically with her to only have a clutch, he then took the eggs from her as soon as they hatched because she’d end up going nuts if bonding with the eggs and then endangering herself and the eggs as that what you did as per draconian society. Walter “Swallow” Brand a Topaz omega disgrace from the pedigree who had be physically and mentally abused for years hid when the cloister was shut down and the omega’s removed as he was terrified of dragons even though he’d basically been trained how to properly service a dragon and that the dragon is everything but he’s nothing, he tried to take some food from a nearby farm then got arrested then one of Ian’s (Topez dragon family leader) ex-attendants kept his aminals at the farm that Walter tried to steal food from so told Ian about the situation so him and his mates went and got him released from police custody, they had no idea where to put him due to all the trauma he’d been subjected too so they took him home with them but he was completely freaked out because Ian and Geoffrey (Amethyst dragon & one of Grim’s sons) traumatised him, in turn Walter’s constant terror mostly of Ian was making their Whelps anxious so since Geoffrey had no idea what to do sought council with his father Grim to see if he had any suggestions of what to do with Walter.
As soon as Grim sees Walter his dragon takes notice of him. Then when Walter starts talking about living with Giles & the Scooby gang, Grim takes notice of this and asks him if he could like with anyone who would he live with of course he says with Giles because hequestions Geoffrey saying that he told him that Walter had no family, in which Geoffrey replies that they’re not real people and that they’re from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Grim then asks Walter some questions about what’s Giles like etc he answers saying that he knows that Giles isn’t real but he’s caring, strict and but loving and never uses punishments. Grim the decides that he’s going to take care of him. Walter has been beaten down until he’s nearly broken but Grim finds a way through the terror to his heart. I loved how when Walter’s sire, Mandrake Brand shows up at Grim’s house and demands his property back, Grim is talking to his sons in the other room when he hears the knock on the door and his dragon senses that Walter’s in trouble so he storms out to see who it is, he tells the Topez dragon that he’s trespassing on Amethyst territory and it’s against the Council’s rules so he should leave now without Walter, while he still can and never bother then again, Grim turns his back on the Topaz to check if Walter is okay, he then sees Walter’s face lose the little colour it had then he feels dragons claws gouge into his back deeply and crumples to the ground. Walter thinks that his sire k*lled Grim and screams then leaps at him telling him to die already as he shoves Grim’s claw that he’d shed and given to Walter for his protection into his neck a couple of times. I’ve read books from Piper Scott before and have loved them all but I’ve never read any books by Virginia Kelly but if this book/series is any indication on her writing style I won’t be disappointed so I’ll definitely read more from her in the future. I’d recommend this book, series and both authors to anyone.
Not as great as Mate but not terrible either.
I guess there had been a plea on behalf of the readership for Grimbold Drake, father of Alistair, Everard, and Geoffrey (for starters) to have a chance for true love. In the previous three books, he did act too much like an a**h*le, only favoring the clan and Old Rules rather than look forward to a more realistic yet kinder future where Disgraces asserted their status as Dragonets, the fathers/mothers of the future of all dragons. And why not? Why defy what Nature has decreed? After all, Nature always finds a way. Might as well go with the flow.
But I suppose no one would get anywhere until the head of the Dragon Counsel finally got his act together and what better way to do it than to have a true mate and a kid or two on the way?
This book is more like a very short novel or a long novella. I wish it could had been longer and better handled. There were so many other ways to lengthen it without making it feel forced. Better than making it feel rushed by keeping its current length.
But I guess this story had to be told.
Swallow is the fourth book in the Forbidden Desires series, a paranormal series with dragon shifters and A/B/O dynamics. Although this book states it is the first book in the Forbidden Desires Spin-Off series, I fully suggest reading the previous three books of the Forbidden Desires series.
Swallow is a short novella that features Grimbold Drake and Wally, the shy omega who’s been abused as he grew up. Grimbold and Wally’s relationship was sweet and delightful and I really enjoyed this book. The story was well crafted with sweet moments and some great sexy scenes.
The audiobook was narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo who narrated the previous books in the series. Michael did a great job with this narration and performed the book well. I really enjoyed listening to this book and was engaged with the story the entire time.
Read and listened to the audio versions of this book. I loved it so much I had to read it twice. The series is so good, especially if you like dragons and Mpreg. The details and the characters are lovely even when the characters are flawed. But always am HEA even for the most unlikely. A great read. Thank you.
I was not sure how I was going to like Grimbold’s story but there is just something so sweet and pure about his unexpected attachment to Swallow/Wally/Walter. I loved Grimbold’s newer found soft side, his protective instincts, and devotion to family. And I enjoyed seeing the broken boy start to find his way in his new world surrounded by love, support, and a new understanding of his place in dragon society.
5 stars
Heat Level: 4
Narration: 5! Perfection!!
Absolutely amazing story and performance!
I can’t get enough of this world, these dragons and Michael’s voices!! Such an amazing performance and that’s what Michael has done: performed, perfectly!
I love Grimbold and loved getting a look into what makes the Drake patriarch tick and his poor sweet boy Wally or Walter was just adorable. I loved the dynamics between these two and of course all the cameos from the rest of the Drakes.
I felt for Wally and his tortured past and loved how Grimbald handled him and became all he needed. It was funny to see the big strong, somewhat stoic, Drake melt under Wally’s innocence and affections.
I also loved all the Buffy references!! Such an enchanting world. I can’t wait for more, in any form – gimme!!!
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The Forbidden Desires series was one of my top audiobook favorites last year, and Swallow, its first spin-off, was just about as amazing.
Michael Ferraiuolo is one of my favorite narrators and while I wasn’t sure I was going to like listening to Daddy Grimwold’s voice for too long—he sounds old, which well, he is and I already knew after listening to the Forbidden Desires series, LOL—but he looks hot on the cover, so it kind of ruined the fantasy for me at first. However, Michael’s performance and Piper and Virginia’s words won me over to the dark side and I ended up loving him despite Grimwold sounding old. Hahahahaha! He was so patient and gentle with Wally, despite being a formidable clan master and a centuries-old dragon. Wally was sweet and Michael captured that perfectly. And of course, getting to revisit my favorites, Everard and Harry, was delightful, too, which, coupled with a strong storyline and some fun, hot and even jaw-dropping, twists and turns, made for a great start to this new spin-off series. I’m already looking forward to more and I can’t recommend this audiobook enough.
H/c, Abuse Recovery.
Grimm meets his boy, ‘Swallow’, a sweetheart who was abused at cloister.
Wow! I did not expect the story to be this
A) sweet, and
B) freakin’ amazing!
While spin offs may be tricky, this was was spot on! I loved everything about this story… well, maybe except the length – I would love it even more if it was twice as long! 🙂
Awesome read through and through
I absolutely adored this novella that tells the story of alpha dragon, Grimbold, and omega dragonet/Disgrace, Walter (or Swallow…or Wally!). The gradual change of sweet, Buffy obsessed, Wally from absolutely terrified and totally untrusting to being able to tease his mate is thoughtfully written. The pace of the transformation is just right, despite this being a novella.