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Dragons of Arcadia #4
The Dragon’s Surrogate
He rejected me because I can’t shift. Now I’m supposed to be his surrogate.
The dragon leader wants a baby, not a mate, especially not one like me.
The clan has selected me as the one to carry his heir, without him knowing.
I’m the lowliest in the clan and can’t say no. So now I’m pregnant with his baby…
My belly is growing but my head is in chaos.
The dragon leader has requested to meet the woman who is pregnant with his seed.
I still remember how he rejected me harshly because I can’t shift.
I want to hate him for how he made me feel.
But instead of hating him, I can’t help but feeling drawn to him again.
I want him to fight the demons outside and in my heart.
I want him to explore my shame with his powerful fingers.
I want to release my magic and make the impossible happen.
Will the dragon leader make me his this time?
The dragon leaders of Arcadia want it lands to rule, mates to claim, and babies to make. And what a dragon wants, a dragon gets, no matter the cost, consequences, and broken hearts...
The dragon leader wants a baby, not a mate, especially not one like me.
The clan has selected me as the one to carry his heir, without him knowing.
I’m the lowliest in the clan and can’t say no. So now I’m pregnant with his baby…
My belly is growing but my head is in chaos.
The dragon leader has requested to meet the woman who is pregnant with his seed.
I still remember how he rejected me harshly because I can’t shift.
I want to hate him for how he made me feel.
But instead of hating him, I can’t help but feeling drawn to him again.
I want him to fight the demons outside and in my heart.
I want him to explore my shame with his powerful fingers.
I want to release my magic and make the impossible happen.
Will the dragon leader make me his this time?
The dragon leaders of Arcadia want it lands to rule, mates to claim, and babies to make. And what a dragon wants, a dragon gets, no matter the cost, consequences, and broken hearts...
- GenresDragons
135 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 15, 2023
98 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 26, 2023
Tons of spoilers because I'm actually annoyed that I finished this one.
I kept going hoping it would get better, but it only got worse. Let's address the storyline and continuity issues first.
Not only is the majority of this story told through endless inner monologue, but very little is actually shown to us. Instead, we get recaps of what's going on in that inner monologue, or we get off time skips that don't allow us to know how much time has passed. There is one time where we're told it's been 4 months, and then the next thing we know, she's almost near the end of her pregnancy, but we only know that time has passed because she goes into labor but the baby survives even though it was too early.
The worst was at one point when they travel to the king's palace (it never says how far away it is), do some testing there, send word out about her being shiftless around the kingdom, travel home to where everyone already knows the news that she's shiftless, get tons of people in hiding from around the kingdom to come in (even some who were wary and hesitant), are able to perform testing on them, she sleeps with the FMC, wakes up in the morning and fights some demons, after which word gets around the kingdom of her fighting some demons using her powers causing even more to join and want to meet her, and they're called back to the palace that same day....all of this happening within 24 hours of them having left for the palace the first time.
Ridiculous.
Other than that first week then month passing, and then those 4 months passing, there is no other indication of time passing in the book.
Now to the MMC.
You already know I hated him. Let me tell you why:
As a teenager he called her pathetic because he mistakenly thought she froze when falling out a window and failed to shift to save herself. And then he called off their engagement and never saw her again. He had been falling for her and even later says she's the only woman he's ever felt anything for.
Ok.
So sure he was young and dumb, but then but years later (the book infuriatingly never tells us how many years later, just that it was a lot), after he's realized that he should maybe meet the woman his elders chose to have his baby, he makes her stay in the palace and taunts her into falling (while pregnant) from the same spot she did years earlier as some sort of test, then when she still doesn't shift to save herself, he calls her a coward, stupid, irresponsible, and weak. The only woman he's supposedly ever felt anything for....
This man is their clan leader. Even if she had only been frozen in fear, he should not have reacted that way either time. And when she finally calls him out on it, he thinks, "What?! What is she talking about? [I] had never made fun of her." .......yes you did!!!???
"She really was his first crush. She had been the only one who he could laugh with and play with. She was the first one who didn’t see him as just the heir to the clan. She had seen who he really was and had understood him. They had formed a true friendship, his first real friendship, and he had enjoyed every minute of his time with her."
This is the kind of man who could throw all of that away and never see her again over one moment of perceived weakness. And instead of growing and maturing over the years they were apart, the moment he met her again, he taunted her (while pregnant!!!) until she fell again, and then acted even worse towards her for it.
And sure, he changes at some point in the book and comes to love her and treat her well, but not because he himself changed. No, it's because he finally stops seeing her as weak. These quotes are one paragraph apart:
"Ryan had liked her all those years ago, but he had managed to convince himself that they couldn’t work out because they were fundamentally different, and because he wasn’t one to condone weakness..."
"...But what she did on the battlefield was a show of power. She was powerful and magical. She had displayed her strength in a way that Ryan had never seen before. She was unique, and that made him even more attracted to her."
He only likes her because she's powerful. This was the sole reason his feelings for her had changed.
He says in the beginning that he's only even been attracted to her, that he doesn't take lovers so that he doesn't feel temptation to take a mate. And she says she's never had a friend or acquaintance outside of her parents except for her time being betrothed to the MMC. Yet their first time, he's experienced and confident, and so is she. Are they virgins or not? I don't usually care, except it's never addressed at all either way.
And don't even get me started on her deciding she needed to fight demons that their soldiers were perfectly able to handle on their own while she was at the end of her pregnancy just because she was restless. Smh.
One star.
I kept going hoping it would get better, but it only got worse. Let's address the storyline and continuity issues first.
Not only is the majority of this story told through endless inner monologue, but very little is actually shown to us. Instead, we get recaps of what's going on in that inner monologue, or we get off time skips that don't allow us to know how much time has passed. There is one time where we're told it's been 4 months, and then the next thing we know, she's almost near the end of her pregnancy, but we only know that time has passed because she goes into labor but the baby survives even though it was too early.
The worst was at one point when they travel to the king's palace (it never says how far away it is), do some testing there, send word out about her being shiftless around the kingdom, travel home to where everyone already knows the news that she's shiftless, get tons of people in hiding from around the kingdom to come in (even some who were wary and hesitant), are able to perform testing on them, she sleeps with the FMC, wakes up in the morning and fights some demons, after which word gets around the kingdom of her fighting some demons using her powers causing even more to join and want to meet her, and they're called back to the palace that same day....all of this happening within 24 hours of them having left for the palace the first time.
Ridiculous.
Other than that first week then month passing, and then those 4 months passing, there is no other indication of time passing in the book.
Now to the MMC.
You already know I hated him. Let me tell you why:
As a teenager he called her pathetic because he mistakenly thought she froze when falling out a window and failed to shift to save herself. And then he called off their engagement and never saw her again. He had been falling for her and even later says she's the only woman he's ever felt anything for.
Ok.
So sure he was young and dumb, but then but years later (the book infuriatingly never tells us how many years later, just that it was a lot), after he's realized that he should maybe meet the woman his elders chose to have his baby, he makes her stay in the palace and taunts her into falling (while pregnant) from the same spot she did years earlier as some sort of test, then when she still doesn't shift to save herself, he calls her a coward, stupid, irresponsible, and weak. The only woman he's supposedly ever felt anything for....
This man is their clan leader. Even if she had only been frozen in fear, he should not have reacted that way either time. And when she finally calls him out on it, he thinks, "What?! What is she talking about? [I] had never made fun of her." .......yes you did!!!???
"She really was his first crush. She had been the only one who he could laugh with and play with. She was the first one who didn’t see him as just the heir to the clan. She had seen who he really was and had understood him. They had formed a true friendship, his first real friendship, and he had enjoyed every minute of his time with her."
This is the kind of man who could throw all of that away and never see her again over one moment of perceived weakness. And instead of growing and maturing over the years they were apart, the moment he met her again, he taunted her (while pregnant!!!) until she fell again, and then acted even worse towards her for it.
And sure, he changes at some point in the book and comes to love her and treat her well, but not because he himself changed. No, it's because he finally stops seeing her as weak. These quotes are one paragraph apart:
"Ryan had liked her all those years ago, but he had managed to convince himself that they couldn’t work out because they were fundamentally different, and because he wasn’t one to condone weakness..."
"...But what she did on the battlefield was a show of power. She was powerful and magical. She had displayed her strength in a way that Ryan had never seen before. She was unique, and that made him even more attracted to her."
He only likes her because she's powerful. This was the sole reason his feelings for her had changed.
He says in the beginning that he's only even been attracted to her, that he doesn't take lovers so that he doesn't feel temptation to take a mate. And she says she's never had a friend or acquaintance outside of her parents except for her time being betrothed to the MMC. Yet their first time, he's experienced and confident, and so is she. Are they virgins or not? I don't usually care, except it's never addressed at all either way.
And don't even get me started on her deciding she needed to fight demons that their soldiers were perfectly able to handle on their own while she was at the end of her pregnancy just because she was restless. Smh.
One star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2023
Deborah and Ryan have been betrothed from a young age, but a near fatal incident led to Ryan and his parent’s cancelling the betrothment. Years later Ryan, who swore never to take a mate, wants a child of his own and calls his clan elders to help in this matter. When one of the Elders suggests a surrogate, Ryan jumps at the idea. He doesn’t meet the surrogate until a month of pregnancy has passed, imagine his shock when he realises it his Deborah, who he had called pathetic and a coward!
Deborah can’t shift, only her parents and Ryan know this, so when the elders say she has been chosen to be his surrogate, after thought, she agrees.
To say they are off to a ‘rocky start,’ is an understatement. Those pesky demons are still attacking at random times, making any chance of romance difficult.
I really enjoyed this read: Deborah is such a lovely character and Ryan has his reasons for being the way he is. There is action, angst, romance eventually, and secrets that turn out to be to the betterment of dragon and wolf clans.
I voluntarily received and reviewed an ARC copy of the book.
Deborah can’t shift, only her parents and Ryan know this, so when the elders say she has been chosen to be his surrogate, after thought, she agrees.
To say they are off to a ‘rocky start,’ is an understatement. Those pesky demons are still attacking at random times, making any chance of romance difficult.
I really enjoyed this read: Deborah is such a lovely character and Ryan has his reasons for being the way he is. There is action, angst, romance eventually, and secrets that turn out to be to the betterment of dragon and wolf clans.
I voluntarily received and reviewed an ARC copy of the book.
July 8, 2023
A sweet story
This is book four of the Dragons of Arcadia. This story is about the Red Dragon leader and his childhood friend Deborah. A twist on friends to lovers troupe. One day while playing Deborah trips out the window, by accident. The Red Dragon waits for Deborah to open her wings and fly back up but she yells for his help. He helps her but he is angry doesn’t fully understand why Deborah would not save herself. Read On!
This is book four of the Dragons of Arcadia. This story is about the Red Dragon leader and his childhood friend Deborah. A twist on friends to lovers troupe. One day while playing Deborah trips out the window, by accident. The Red Dragon waits for Deborah to open her wings and fly back up but she yells for his help. He helps her but he is angry doesn’t fully understand why Deborah would not save herself. Read On!
July 10, 2023
Deborah and Ryan
Sheltered and isolated to keep her disability hidden, Deborah was a shiftless dragon. However, she had a talent for magic. Ryan needs an heir but no mate. Their story is a delightful read and enjoyed the way the storyline played out.
Sheltered and isolated to keep her disability hidden, Deborah was a shiftless dragon. However, she had a talent for magic. Ryan needs an heir but no mate. Their story is a delightful read and enjoyed the way the storyline played out.
July 17, 2023
Magic
When they were young they were friends until she fall out the window and he had to save her, but years later when he wanted a child, but not mate she was chosen so now their lives will be tied together.
When they were young they were friends until she fall out the window and he had to save her, but years later when he wanted a child, but not mate she was chosen so now their lives will be tied together.
June 16, 2023
The characters weren’t very likeable and the subplot was pretty uninteresting
June 24, 2023
😁😁😁💜
A new issue for the Arcadia dragons ... or at least for one dragon who is worried about what will happen to her and her parents if the secret gets out!
A new issue for the Arcadia dragons ... or at least for one dragon who is worried about what will happen to her and her parents if the secret gets out!
July 28, 2023
Great Read
I really like this book too. It is well written. A lot of action. MC worked well together. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
I really like this book too. It is well written. A lot of action. MC worked well together. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
October 14, 2023
I quite enjoyed this story.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews