I was super intrigued by this one. As a female reptile keeper, I always love a good female-lead dragon fantasy. The concept of a cute little tea-loving shapeshifter dragon living in a cozy bookshop suddenly having her life thrown into turmoil? Count me in.
The plot was good, but what really stood out to me was the characters. I love found-family tropes, and the gruff yet protective father-figure Faris and all of her friends at The Portal were wonderfully written. There were a few characters that I wish would’ve been touched on more (Wynter, Marilee, Misty, Niko & Oliver), but overall the most highlighted characters were well-written. And this series has a huge cast.
If you are a fan of sweet, forbidden love, slow-burn romance, this book is a great read. Draven was dark and broody without being overly cheesy, and Kira’s firecracker personality balanced the couple out well. Plenty of swooning moments with just a hint of tension while still being no-spice, which I always love.
And the ending was great. Well-written final battle scene with plenty of twists and turns, and the unexpected finishing blow had me both cheering and laughing.
Overall this is definitely an excellent read for lovers of dragons, urban fantasy, and sweet slow-burn romance. I highly recommend it!