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kate_and_books's review against another edition
3.0
Dragon shifter romance just happens to be one of my favourites. I liked this but I’m sad to say I didn’t love it. I enjoy the world that the author has created. This book takes place in Russia with hot Russian dragons. And how scrumptious they are.
The brothers Grigori, Rurik and Mikhail are the last of the Barinovs.
Book one is Grigori’s book, multi-millionaire and one of the oldest dragons. He is somewhat sentimental when it comes to Barrow’s journal that documents what they are which is kept at the Russian State Library. But one day an American requests the book and learns all the dragon secrets in it although she doesn’t believe what she is reading.
Madelyn Haynes has travelled to Russia to find out more about dragons as she has always been fascinated by them. She has also felt as if she never belonged but once she meets Grigori that all changes and her own secrets and past come to light. Madelyn is truly magnificent. She is quiet with an inner strength.
There is instalust and love but as they are mates and paranormal romance it works. But the chemistry between them is somewhat flat for me. I’m sure others will see it differently. Different strokes and all that.
The Barinovs and the Drakors have been rivals for a very long time. The Romanovs have been wiped out. The treaty has been broken and now an all-out war is on the horizon.
The plot is very similar to other dragon books that I have read before that is why it only gets three stars and I felt it to be somewhat predictable. I also felt as if it is too slow paced.
Nevertheless it is still a cute, sexy and somewhat cheesy read. I will be reading Mikhail’s book as I am intrigued by him. The exiled loner.
coralivashkov's review against another edition
2.0
*sigh*
When I found about this book in Wattpad I was so desperate to read it, I was VERY intrigued, so I bought it from Amazon asap! The beginning was "alright", but as the story advanced every scene seemed TOO CLICHÉ, I had to stop in the middle and forced myself to finish it. The characters were so uninteresting and dull, I was expecting a lot more from Grigori, he gave the impression of being darker, more mysterious and alluring... while Madelyn was the typical lonely and underrated girl that captivated the male because yes, and don't get me wrong, I'm a cliché-book-lover-girl, but their love was so hurried, even tho they're mates, I felt that it was forced. Also, the brother was the I'm-the-smart-ass-guy-in-the-book type of character that was tiresome. I didn't connect with any of them, they were characterless to me, sorry :/
When I found about this book in Wattpad I was so desperate to read it, I was VERY intrigued, so I bought it from Amazon asap! The beginning was "alright", but as the story advanced every scene seemed TOO CLICHÉ, I had to stop in the middle and forced myself to finish it. The characters were so uninteresting and dull, I was expecting a lot more from Grigori, he gave the impression of being darker, more mysterious and alluring... while Madelyn was the typical lonely and underrated girl that captivated the male because yes, and don't get me wrong, I'm a cliché-book-lover-girl, but their love was so hurried, even tho they're mates, I felt that it was forced. Also, the brother was the I'm-the-smart-ass-guy-in-the-book type of character that was tiresome. I didn't connect with any of them, they were characterless to me, sorry :/
dragonstar1974's review against another edition
5.0
Original and Exciting!
Grigori is a wonderful introduction into this fascinating world and the exceptional beings who hide their lineage for self preservation. They just need to watch out for those pesky humans who will ultimately steal their hearts.
Madelyn has dreamed of dragons her entire life and has always been interested in proving they are or were real. In Moscow she finds a book that indicates they may be but finds herself in jeopardy as a result of reading it.
Grigori is an exciting, action-packed debut! This is my first read by Ms. Smith, but her Barinov brothers have me hooked, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
Thanks to the publisher for offering me the opportunity to read this book!
Grigori is a wonderful introduction into this fascinating world and the exceptional beings who hide their lineage for self preservation. They just need to watch out for those pesky humans who will ultimately steal their hearts.
Madelyn has dreamed of dragons her entire life and has always been interested in proving they are or were real. In Moscow she finds a book that indicates they may be but finds herself in jeopardy as a result of reading it.
Grigori is an exciting, action-packed debut! This is my first read by Ms. Smith, but her Barinov brothers have me hooked, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
Thanks to the publisher for offering me the opportunity to read this book!
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review against another edition
3.0
This had a great premise, but it definitely needed some deeper world building. Readers can get the gist of what's happening, but I think it would have given more context and depth to the over-arching storyline.
bookwife's review against another edition
4.0
This book was good. It wasn't great but it was enjoyable. My biggest problem was I didn't feel like the chemistry between the characters was real. It felt incredibly forced and it was awkward. Other than that I did like it. I love dragon shifters. And honestly most shifter books are pretty similar and this one really was similar to some other ones Ive read in the past. But I still liked it!
the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent cover on this one. A fantastic representation of the story. Excellent composition (although "I" would have moved the series symbol more to the right. Great use of graphics and title work as well.
I love dragon shifters. I think they may be tied with wolves as my favorite type of shifter in a romance. Although I am also partial to lions...in any case, dragons are center stage in this one, and we have the pleasure of meeting the first of the three Barinov brothers, Grigori and his mate Madelyn. Madelyn is in Russia (seriously this author kicked it up a notch and made the dragons Russian...swoon) to write a paper on dragons. When she requests a book from the royal library, she ends up getting more than she bargained for in the form of a 6 foot 4 smokin hot businessman/dragon who kidnaps her and demands answers. Soon answers are the least of Grigori's problem when he, Madelyn, and his brother are pulled into a dragon war with another clan.
I enjoyed this one a lot. It was well written and well paced. The plot was engaging and kept me turning the pages. The author does an excellent job of world-building without it taking over the story completely. Weaving it with actual history was a nice touch. This is a true mate story, and so the attraction is pretty instant. Therefore there is no OW/OM drama. The heroine was a virgin, and the hero hadn't been with anyone in a long while. It was a slow burn but here are a few sex scenes. I would have liked to have seen a few more spicier scenes. This one wasn't heavy on the secondary characters. The main one being Grigori's brother Rurik. Who I enjoyed very much and can't wait to read about. I have a feeling I know who his heroine is going to be. Both main characters were extremely likable. I adored Grigori. He was sweet and sexy. I would probably label him alpha-lite. I loved Madelyn equally as much. She was sweet and strong when she needed to be. Lastly, it was all wrapped up in a sweet epilogue that gives a hint of what is coming up in the next book.
raven168's review against another edition
3.0
This was a pretty good book. I really liked how it took place in Russia because that seems to be unusual for a dragon book. The back story of the dragons was interesting as well. The characters were believable, though some were more fun than others (namely Rurik). There was one character that I think was intended to play a part that never really went anywhere even though it seemed like it might have turned into something important . The relationship between Grigori and Madelyn was also believable and sweet.
Madelyn was an okay character. I wasn't impressed with her, but neither did she annoy me. She is a professor in danger of losing her tenure if she can't produce a paper validating her studies. And what are those? She's convinced that dragons were real. Not in the shifter sense, but in the reptilian sense as some sort of dinosaur offshoot. Why else would so many cultures have variations of them in their myths? Her search and a need for a change of scenery have her traveling to Russia alone. They have a lovely library and even a journal that she hopes will give her the information she needs. Her hopes are immediately squashed when she starts to read it, but there's a sketch of a man inside that she quickly becomes obsessed with.
I really liked Grigori. He had his dragon side that wants to dominate, but he was also incredibly sweet. My favorite line from him would probably have to be "The universe designed you among the stars and let you fall into my arms." How is that not a swoon worthy line? Grigori is one of the last three dragons of his family line. He has worked hard to build his family's business and has a lot of weight on his shoulders. He knows that he should seek out a dragoness to have offspring with, but his family has always sought out their true mates. He just never expected to find his in a mortal who could expose his family to the world.
Madelyn's life changes the moment that she goes to read this journal. The book belongs to Grigori and his family but he had it kept safe at the library for sentimental reasons. It was supposed to stay hidden, but when Madelyn checks it out and is caught taking pictures, he leaves immediately to find out who she really is. When Madelyn comes face to face with the man from the journal in her hotel room, she tries to find a logically explanation. Then she's cornered and put to sleep. When she wakes up, she finds herself pretty much Grigori's prisoner. But despite what her brain is shouting at her, she doesn't really mind. If fact she wants to spend more time with him and help him any way she can. She loses her heart to him very quickly. When Grigori explains why, she actually takes it rather well. Grigori and his brother take Madelyn to his real house, and it is gorgeous. While there, it is quickly learned that there is more to Madelyn than she even knew. Something very dangerous. Despite that, they become closer until Grigori can't stop himself from taking Madelyn. Fate wouldn't have chosen her as his mate if it couldn't work after all.
It turns out that their families were linked a long time ago by something terrible. Something that, honestly, should have been figured out before then. But Madelyn can finally find peace with with the knowledge and move on with Grigori. Just when things look up for the two of them, Grigori's enemy strikes early kidnapping Madelyn. The coming fight was really good and not a disappointment. I couldn't wait for Madelyn to embrace who she really is and I loved the shock of the enemy when he finds out. Considering that this book wrapped itself and the dragon conflict up nicely, I was wondering how this series would progress. Then we got to the last page and the long lost brother Mikhail is there...and we can guess where we go from here. While I didn't fall in love with this book, given the chance, I'd check out the next one.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
Spoiler
It seemed like Grigori's assistant was going to be a bigger influence in events because she was in league with his enemy. But aside from her one call to the guy (that didn't have any point to it) all that's left is her blatant interest in Grigori and her anger at being refused. So really, what was the point?Madelyn was an okay character. I wasn't impressed with her, but neither did she annoy me. She is a professor in danger of losing her tenure if she can't produce a paper validating her studies. And what are those? She's convinced that dragons were real. Not in the shifter sense, but in the reptilian sense as some sort of dinosaur offshoot. Why else would so many cultures have variations of them in their myths? Her search and a need for a change of scenery have her traveling to Russia alone. They have a lovely library and even a journal that she hopes will give her the information she needs. Her hopes are immediately squashed when she starts to read it, but there's a sketch of a man inside that she quickly becomes obsessed with.
I really liked Grigori. He had his dragon side that wants to dominate, but he was also incredibly sweet. My favorite line from him would probably have to be "The universe designed you among the stars and let you fall into my arms." How is that not a swoon worthy line? Grigori is one of the last three dragons of his family line. He has worked hard to build his family's business and has a lot of weight on his shoulders. He knows that he should seek out a dragoness to have offspring with, but his family has always sought out their true mates. He just never expected to find his in a mortal who could expose his family to the world.
Madelyn's life changes the moment that she goes to read this journal. The book belongs to Grigori and his family but he had it kept safe at the library for sentimental reasons. It was supposed to stay hidden, but when Madelyn checks it out and is caught taking pictures, he leaves immediately to find out who she really is. When Madelyn comes face to face with the man from the journal in her hotel room, she tries to find a logically explanation. Then she's cornered and put to sleep. When she wakes up, she finds herself pretty much Grigori's prisoner. But despite what her brain is shouting at her, she doesn't really mind. If fact she wants to spend more time with him and help him any way she can. She loses her heart to him very quickly. When Grigori explains why, she actually takes it rather well. Grigori and his brother take Madelyn to his real house, and it is gorgeous. While there, it is quickly learned that there is more to Madelyn than she even knew. Something very dangerous. Despite that, they become closer until Grigori can't stop himself from taking Madelyn. Fate wouldn't have chosen her as his mate if it couldn't work after all.
It turns out that their families were linked a long time ago by something terrible. Something that, honestly, should have been figured out before then. But Madelyn can finally find peace with with the knowledge and move on with Grigori. Just when things look up for the two of them, Grigori's enemy strikes early kidnapping Madelyn. The coming fight was really good and not a disappointment. I couldn't wait for Madelyn to embrace who she really is and I loved the shock of the enemy when he finds out. Considering that this book wrapped itself and the dragon conflict up nicely, I was wondering how this series would progress. Then we got to the last page and the long lost brother Mikhail is there...and we can guess where we go from here. While I didn't fall in love with this book, given the chance, I'd check out the next one.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
amza's review against another edition
2.0
If you like romance novels with no build up, fetishizing of virgins, and the vibe of wattpad then this is your book. This was an extremely difficult read I stuck through because it was recommended and the reviews were high. I don’t think this is a bad novel or anything I think it was well written just not for me. Definitely not my cup of tea which is why I gave two stars.
lady_elsa's review against another edition
1.0
The writing is acceptable but totally empty on descriptions. The characters are deep as a biscuit and always contradicting themselves every chapter. The plot is so linear that every possible plot twist is predictable. The world building idea is beautiful but bad developed. I’m sorry.
Read it if you want a very light read and having nothin else to do.
Read it if you want a very light read and having nothin else to do.
morganbrown2900's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this book it was sweet and great side characters. Girgori and Madelyn were absolutely perfect for each other. I enjoyed the dragon shifter storyline immensely. The romance was believable and Girgori and Madelyn had amazing chemistry. I am looking forward to the next book in the series!!