Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon (Embraced, #3)

by Kerrelyn Sparks

From the brilliant imagination of Kerrelyn Sparks comes a bold new fantasy romance series in which passion and magic collide.

Gwennore is an Elf able to track down the cause of an 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 and magic, plagued by an ancient curse. And then she meets the smoldering General Silas Dravenko. She’s been raised never to trust a dragon, but never did 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 elf comes bursting into his world, Silas is awakened to desire in a way he’s never felt before. But can he trust a sworn enemy?

• ISBN13: 9781250108258
• Publish Date: 1 May 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 5 April 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: St Martin's Press
• Imprint: St. Martin's Paperbacks
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 416
• Language: English
• URL: http://melia.co.uk/page/detail/?k=9781250108258

Reviews

[chymerra]

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**

[thebookdisciple]

I have adored Sparks writing throughout this series and Dating a Dragon is no exception! She gives us the story of Gwennore, an elf, and Silas, the prince of Norveshka (and a general). The people of Norveshka and Woodwyn have been bitter enemies so there is a bit of a Romeo and Juliet vibe to this story and I loved it.

Gwennore has been discriminated against her entire life because of her elfin heritage and she has, for the most part, just accepted this and done her best to avoid people. Silas is captivated by her and she isn't quite sure what to think! I loved the innocence of Gwennore mixed with her wit and drive. And Silas is wonderful book boyfriend material. He is determined, devoted, and playful. I just loved both of these characters.

Amidst their blossoming relationship, Gwennore and Silas are attempting to find out the truth behind the supposed 'curse' and prove to the people of Norveshka that there is no such thing as the cursed clans. I think this is where you really see the intelligence of Gwennore and Silas. Beyond that, you get some great supporting characters that add depth and levity to the story.

I simply adored Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon! This world that Sparks has created is wonderfully detailed and has such a magical quality, I find that I want to return repeatedly! From the different tribes of people, to the ancient trees, to the shifters, it all creates a vivid picture of a unique world that I have come to love.

 

• POV: 3rd


• Tears: no


• Trope: dragon shifter, romeo and juliet, secret identity


• Triggers: none


• Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series


• Cliffhanger: no


• HEA: yes! with an epilogue shortly after ending

The Psy-Changeling Series by Nalini Singh, The Bewitched and Bewildered series by Alanea Alder, The Argeneau series by Lyndsay Sands...then you will probably like Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon!

 

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon

 See full review on The Book Disciple

[llamareads]

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.

[Kate (Blogging with Dragons)]

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.

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon was my first time ever reading a “romance” novel. I was little hesitant, especially at the sight of the cover, which is not my general cup of tea. However, to my surprise and delight, this book read much more like a fantasy novel than an actual romance novel. In fact, there was only one sex scene in the entire book—less than even some fantasy novels I have read—and a lot less than I was suspecting I would encounter. Though I really enjoyed this novel—and of course, I loved the entire premise of it—I felt the execution of it was sadly lacking. I often found myself wishing the author had gone deeper with her characters and developed the romance and the plot differently. And while the humor in the book was great, the flirting between the characters amusing, the writing was on the simplistic side. I was also frequently irritated by the main character, Gwennore and her actions.


Gwennore, a virginal healing elf, is a member of the Embraced, a set of people born under the eclipse or “embracement” of the two moons and born with the magical ability to sense diseases in people. Gwennore, or Gwennie, as her five adopted sisters call her, is faced with prejudice wherever she goes, as the elves are currently locked in a brutal war with other nations. To avoid a party with her sisters (two of which who are queens), and the undoubted continued racism, she picks flowers with her niece, Princess Eviana, only to witness her getting snatched by a dragon! She quickly grabs on, but it is not long before the kidnapper-dragon dislodges her. Luckily, another dragon, whom she laughingly dubs Puff, saves her from crashing to her death and agrees to chase after Eviana. Gwennore then winds up in Norveshka, a land where dragons and humans live in harmony. Once there and under Puff’s arranged protection of General Silas Dravenko, she decides to help him cure the curse of the Three Cursed Clans and the plague, so no other children will be kidnapped by dragons in the future.

Annoyingly, once Eviana is safely returned home, Gwennore appears to forget all about Eviana—who before was referred to as the only person she ever felt a strong, loving connection with—and Gwennore instead focuses entirely on Silas and curing the disease, which she didn’t really want to cure in the first place. Perhaps her lack of concern and missing of Eviana would not be so annoying if her attraction to Silas, whom she cringingly thinks of as General Gorgeous from the first time she laid eyes on him, did not feel so much like instalove. Plus, for someone for whom she considers giving up living with her precious sisters—which really did not seem like a loss to me as they seemed completely clueless to the prejudice she dealt with on a daily basis and also used her as a nanny to all of their children—she certainly leads Silas on a lot.

Constantly, after a breakthrough in their feelings, she turns him down seconds later because of crippling self-doubt about whether or not they even have a future together. She claims it is because Norveshki hates Elves even more than her sisters’ peoples due to their continued war with the elves. When the two finally kiss, it is only for her to reject him a mere moments later—claiming she only was curious about being kissed for the first time—and to spread rumors about their breakup. This was exceedingly frustrating not only for Silas, but also for me, the reader. Not exactly my idea of a whirlwind romance or how you should treat someone whom she thinks of as:
“…somehow it felt like she’d known this man more than a day. She’d always known him. She’d been born knowing him. She’d only been waiting for him to make his appearance.”

Her thoughts and her actions are always two very disconcertingly separate things. Plus, Gwennore, who is revered for her intelligence and cleverness, takes almost the entire book to figure it out that Silas and her beloved dragon, Puff, are one and the same, something that is painstakingly obvious to readers. For God’s sake, the man is divulging to her Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon throughout the novel, and this isn’t enough to give her a clue. But what irritated me even more than her slowness, was that when she eventually realizes the truth, she is very unhappy and disappointed about it! Um, hello, I would be thrilled if my boyfriend were able to shapeshift into a dragon—where are her priorities? Gwennore is sad because apparently Puff as she thought he was never truly existed. I thought this was a huge stretch, as she only actually met Puff twice—something that I found a bit of a letdown. I really would have enjoyed if the author had had Gwennore meet with Puff more often—he could have very easily taken her to meet the ancient sentient trees she could communicate with or to see the trolls.

This kind of development not only would have explained her obsessive attachment to Puff, but also would have been hilarious, as Silas was determined to hide his other nature from her. It would have opened up other doors to show how tortured Silas was at keeping his secret from her and could have showed his worry over whether or not she would have loved him if she knew the truth about him. Instead, he never seems concerned about this, and is in fact, more troubled about if she likes Puff more than him. This seems odd to me and I wish the author would have given up some of the humor of Silas being jealous of himself in order for more of this kind of development. On the other hand, I would have enjoyed more Silas in Puff form interaction with Gwennore in this different way and the push and pull of whether or not Gwennore would figure it out. It also would have added a deeper attachment to the two that did not involve their sexual attraction. I felt like this was a big missed opportunity for character development and to show off more of the humor at which the author excels.

Another thing I felt the book could have really used was a dragon fight. I just could not comprehend how in a book filled with dragons, that there was never a scene where two dragons went at it in a fire breathing, clawing, death defying battle. I would have loved if Silas were forced to change into a dragon in front of Gwennore in a big dramatic reveal in order to save her from a dire situation. I just felt that the Chameleon, a shapeshifter who can shift into literally anyone or anything, was not really that threatening. Perhaps this is because I had not read the other two books in the series, but to me, a guy sitting in cave pretending to be an ancient dragon while manipulating a grieving, mentally diminished king and his greedy secretary is plainly not that intimidating. Plus, the Chameleon stupidly shifted FROM A DRAGON into a wildcat to fight another shapeshifter fairly in the final battle.

This battle was very anticlimactic, with Silas’s grief over his brother’s death lasting only half a second, and everything was wrapped up super neatly, so that Silas and Gwennore could get married and become the King and Queen of Norveshka. For someone who did not even like being referred to as a prince or heir to the throne, Silas certainly had no qualms about becoming King. Again, another missed chance for character development—Silas could have appeared anxious about the new role and Gwennore could have given him confidence. Instead, Gwennore’s discovered Norveshki blood seems to be a magical band aid for both their relationship—Gwennore finally decides to consummate their flirtaitonship and marry the poor bastard once she is certain of her blood—and Norveshki peoples’ hatred of her. The book remarks in passing that they now see her as merely a good “witch” instead of an evil Elf witch who murdered their former Queen immediately after the burial—which we are not even privy to, to see Silas’s grief over the loss of his brother.
Anyways, how the Norveshki people get from mobbing her and accusing her of murdering the former Queen to accepting her literally overnight is beyond me. Furthermore, I would have liked the book to end with Gwennore and Silas meeting with the delegates from the elves, prior to their happily ever after marriage. I would have preferred to see the elves treating Gwennore, whom we know they refer to second hand as a half-breed and a pawn, cruelly firsthand. Consequently, this could have served for the impetus for Gwennore to finally recognize her true love for Norveshka and, of course, Silas, but there is no further development there—just a fairytale wedding, with visits from her sisters and set up for the next novel in the series, which hints at involvement of elves for her now sister-in-law Sorcha.

It was obvious to me from the beginning of the novel when the Seer’s prophecy was shared, that the five Embraced sisters will end up becoming Queens of different nations and bringing peace to the realm. But I don’t care about Sorcha possibly marrying an elf, I wanted to see Gwennore coming to terms with both sides of her heritage, especially the one that gave her up and served as a source of misery her entire life. I was not really interested in her marriage—which took place off scenes for some bizarre reason anyways—and would have gladly given it up for additional growth of the characters and their relationships. It was frustrating to me that everything was glossed over and I wondered if the author was given a length restriction and was not able to fill the gaps in and finish her story.

I was also perplexed when the author repeated the same words over and over. Not only were the same insults used—one single man was called a “weasel,” over and over multiple times by different characters, as if other insults simply did not exist. Similarly, the phrase “jump his bones” was used so often that I had to roll my eyes. But worst of all the phrase “could it be any better,” was used 4 times in 5 pages in the single, pivotal sex scene in the book—something that actually made me pause and awfully detracted from the long awaited scene. Hopefully these things will be fixed in the final edition of the book, (I am, after all, reading an ARC) but if not, I think the author could benefit from a new editor or perhaps an insult book for new ideas.

Despite this repetitiveness and the simplicity of the story, the writing succeeded at an atmosphere of pure fun, and excitement. I could easily put myself in both Silas and Gwennore’s shoes as they danced the danced of romance. I did not mind the cheesiness of the flirting, or the rules for dating a dragon—it simply added to the charm of the novel. The author definitely excels at dialogue and all kinds of banter—romantic or simply friendly. I definitely enjoyed the humor of the novel, often laughing aloud at exchanges like this between Gwennore and Silas:

 

“’How about I let you throw me overboard?’
‘Can you swim?’
‘Yes.’
She shrugged. ‘Then it’s hardly worth my trouble.’”

I did enjoy this book a lot and even picked up the first novel in the series to go back and read. I think my main problem with the book—and franky the reason that I was not able to give it a higher rating—was that I was really attached to the characters, the premise, and the events of the novel and would have loved to read an entire series based on purely this novel and its main characters, and not one the other side characters, like the other Embraced sisters. I would have gladly read a much longer version of this novel and would have been utterly pleased to see more of a slow burn instead of instalove. I would have been thrilled at battle scenes with the elves, more developments with Puff, fleshing out of friendships, and more conflict and torture within the characters. All in all, I loved its humor, the premise of the novel, and would encourage anyone looking for a light novel with both fantasy and romance to pick up this book!


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[stacey_is_sassy]

I preloved this one…

I knew that I was going to love Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon (great name, but so bloody long). I have a sweet spot for dragon shifters. OH NO!! I just gave a spoiler!!! Well, I don’t think it was too spoilerish. After all, I’m pretty sure it would be a physically impossible nightmare for an elf to make love to a dragon (shudders). So, straight up we know that we’re dealing with a fierce, hot and high-flying dragon who turns into a fierce, hot and bossy man…I’m in HEAVEN!! What made it even better was that he was super sweet and funny too. Seriously, Silas is going on my *If this guy was real, I’d want to meet him…* shelf. But, them’s the breaks. I’ll have to leave Silas for Gwennie because that’s the way the bookie crumbles.

I could just end my review here because really, Silas was THE BEST part of this book. Sure, Gwennie was sweet and I loved seeing her gain strength and confidence as the book progressed. But, Silas, he’s just one of those Alpha males that I can’t help falling for. Getting to see into his mind (through his POV) made it even better. I love it when a toughie show his vulnerability when his heart gets mixed up with attraction.

OK, how about I give you just a wee glimpse of what’s going on in this instalment of The Embraced series? For all the fans, the Chameleon is back and causing havoc. Brodie is flying and scratching behind his ear but lets out a wee secret he’s been hiding. The sisters are still as close as ever even though they can’t be with one another all the time. The mission and purpose for each sister become clearer with each instalment. Each woman gets stronger with the love and support of their new families. The stones predictions are spot on and I get excited when we get a glimpse of what’s to come. The Kings are happy, and you can tell that with their Queen, they will rule as a strong and mighty force. We get to meet new and interesting characters who teach us to not judge, listen and learn from those who have been around for awhile.

By the end of the Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon, I was struggling with a dilemma. I can’t pick my favourite in this series. I LOVED How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days, liked (A LOT) So I Married a Sorcerer and LOVED, LOVED Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon. But, is the LOVE, LOVE (doubly loved) because Silas is the new flavour of the month? Or, is it because I’m a sucker for a dragon shifter? Maybe, as the series goes on, I can’t help loving these characters even more.

Well, I can confirm that I’m a fan of The Embraced and I can’t wait for more. If you haven’t started this series yet, I highly recommend going for it.

Stacey is Sassy, received a complimentary copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.

[EBookObsessed]

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon is my favorite in the series. It will make you laugh and cry.

Your heart breaks a little in Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon. First for Gwennore, the only elf among the five sisters who grew up together in the convent on the Isle of the Moons. Until leaving the convent and traveling on the mainland, Gwennore was never subjected to prejudice because of what she is. Her sisters have always accepted her and loved her no matter her genes. But in both of the Kingdoms that her sisters, Luciana and Brigitta, are now Queens, the aristocrats look down on Gwennore for being an elf. With the coloring and her pointed ears, she easily stands out and instead of finding the beauty in Gwennore, who is lovely, sweet and kind, but all they can see is an undesirable elf.

Overhearing the men at Court talk about her with derrision, makes Gwennore spend more time with the children and in an attempt to get away from the courtiers during a picnic, she goes picking flowers with Luciana’s daughter in a field away from the others. This allows the little girl to be kidnapped by a dragon. Gwennore grabs on as well so she can be there to protect the little girl. Even though Gwennore’s actions reflect her love and bravery for her sister’s daughter, even in the kingdom of Norveshki, Gwennore cannot get away from the prejudice of being an elf, or should I say, especially in Norveshki since they are constantly at war with the neighboring elf kingdom of Woodwyn. It is only Silas and a few of his friends who accept Gwennore for herself and see only her good qualities.

But Gwennore isn’t the only one suffering in this story, Silas Dravenko is one of three families cursed by the Ancient Dragons long ago. He has lost most of his family to madness and his brother’s wife, the current Queen is is barely holding on to her sanity. As the Queen’s illness progresses, Silas fears for his brother’s sanity as well. It is the King who ordered the princess to be kidnapped to replace the Queen’s own children who died. Norveshki is already at war with Woodwyn and the King’s action will cause Norveshki to fight a war against KIngs Leofric and King Rupert as well if Silas doesn’t act quickly. Silas is alone in a kingdom full of courtiers, none of whom want anything to do with the cursed royal family. Even as he falls in love with the brave, beautiful Gwennore, she knows she cannot stay in a kingdom that hates her and knowing she is right to want to leave, won’t help him when his future looks so bleak. Silas needs Gwennore’s help in solving the mystery of this age old “curse” or he could lose everything that matters.

While we search for ways for Gwennore and Silas to break the curse over Silas’s family and get a happily ever after, there is one character whose problem might not be solveable. King Leofric has found love with his Queen Luciana in How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days, we still see a sadness in him. We watch Leo, blessed with the ability to control lightening, look longingly upon anyone hugging his children. By luck, Leo is able to touch his wife but he now fears touching his own children for fear of killing them with his electricity. It is heartbreaking to know that he is still denied the basic comfort of touch with anyone else by Luciana.

I loved seeing Gwennore hold her head high no matter who was sneering at her, but this story will still pulled on all your heartstings and cause a sob or two. But don’t forget that this is a Kerrelyn Sparks’ novel, so there will be more than a few chuckles between all the tears.

Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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