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Monstrous Matches #4
Hoarded by the Dragon: A Love Bathhouse Monster Romance
A thief doing a final job and the dragon caught in a precarious situation that changes both of their lives.
He’s powerful and wealthy and he hates me.
But I have something he wants.
It wasn’t a part of the plan.
I’m the thief stupid enough to break into a dragon’s hoard… and walk away pregnant with his baby.
More details to come...
He’s powerful and wealthy and he hates me.
But I have something he wants.
It wasn’t a part of the plan.
I’m the thief stupid enough to break into a dragon’s hoard… and walk away pregnant with his baby.
More details to come...
404 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2023
2256 people are currently reading
7341 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,127 reviews
November 29, 2024
Hoarded by the Dragon is a monster romance with all the feels and plenty of tropes including grumpy x sunshine, accidental pregnancy, forced proximity, and found family. When former thief Katarina gets pulled in for one last job, the last thing she expects to be met with is a dragon in heat. When the dragon, Kalos, catches her stealing from his hoard, Katarina proposes that in return for some relief from his heat, she can take the object she came for and leave come morning. However, when she finds herself pregnant after the night they spent together, she has no choice but to go back to Kalos due to pregnancy complications. When Kalos learns of the baby, he demands that Katarina stay with him under his protection as he has many enemies who would love nothing more than to extort the fact that he now has a weakness. With an unexpected pregnancy looming over them and a need for constant contact, the two find themselves in limbo when Katarina begins falling for Kalos and he is reluctant to open up and give himself to her after a past full of grief and loss.
Wowee. I am a Lillian Lark fan through and through and I enjoyed how this was so different from her other books. I loved how the story progressed and Kalos slowly opened himself up to be loved again, grief was heavy on the mind throughout the book but I never felt like it was too much. There was a balance of sweetness and angst that I greatly appreciated. Katarina was an absolute gem and I loved that she came out of her shell and stood up for herself and what she wanted, she was not about to let Kalos hurt herself or their baby. As with every other Lillian Lark story, this had a generous amount of spice, Kalos has two......if you catch my drift. This is the fourth book in the Love Bathhouse series, but, this is an interconnected standalone that can be read on its own. I absolutely recommend this book and the whole series, each one is so vividly dreamy and charming.
~Many thanks to Lillian Lark for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review!
Wowee. I am a Lillian Lark fan through and through and I enjoyed how this was so different from her other books. I loved how the story progressed and Kalos slowly opened himself up to be loved again, grief was heavy on the mind throughout the book but I never felt like it was too much. There was a balance of sweetness and angst that I greatly appreciated. Katarina was an absolute gem and I loved that she came out of her shell and stood up for herself and what she wanted, she was not about to let Kalos hurt herself or their baby. As with every other Lillian Lark story, this had a generous amount of spice, Kalos has two......if you catch my drift. This is the fourth book in the Love Bathhouse series, but, this is an interconnected standalone that can be read on its own. I absolutely recommend this book and the whole series, each one is so vividly dreamy and charming.
~Many thanks to Lillian Lark for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review!
July 9, 2025
Reread for Patreon in 2025
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This was fantastic! What a unique accidental pregnancy. I am really impressed. This is my favorite Lillian Lark to date.
I'm always so happy when a monster romance has the depth and complexity that keeps me this engrossed.
Katarina is a witchy Thief and Kalos is a broody and grumpy Dragon just trying to live through his heat in peace. Until she crashes in on his solitude and has to pay the price.
This starts out as a hot and heavy, one night stand to satiate a Heat... and turned into a beautiful slow burn fated mate romance. I loved the growth of both characters and watching them bond over the impending birth was heartwarming.
I also enjoyed the twist on pregnancy symptoms, cravings, and urges that were presented here. It was clever yet relatable in a strange way.
Yes, this was nice and steamy with double the dicks in the equation we got into some intruiging "positions" you could say. But I liked how we got there. After that first interaction they gets us started... everything is earned so it feels good.
There were also some lovely cameos and great set up for future books. This was a satisfying, swoony, and warm monster romance. I highly recommend it.
5 stars
4 on the spice scale
CW: breeding kink, rough pregnancy, loss of spouse, grief, loss of child (past)
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This was fantastic! What a unique accidental pregnancy. I am really impressed. This is my favorite Lillian Lark to date.
I'm always so happy when a monster romance has the depth and complexity that keeps me this engrossed.
Katarina is a witchy Thief and Kalos is a broody and grumpy Dragon just trying to live through his heat in peace. Until she crashes in on his solitude and has to pay the price.
This starts out as a hot and heavy, one night stand to satiate a Heat... and turned into a beautiful slow burn fated mate romance. I loved the growth of both characters and watching them bond over the impending birth was heartwarming.
I also enjoyed the twist on pregnancy symptoms, cravings, and urges that were presented here. It was clever yet relatable in a strange way.
Yes, this was nice and steamy with double the dicks in the equation we got into some intruiging "positions" you could say. But I liked how we got there. After that first interaction they gets us started... everything is earned so it feels good.
There were also some lovely cameos and great set up for future books. This was a satisfying, swoony, and warm monster romance. I highly recommend it.
5 stars
4 on the spice scale
CW: breeding kink, rough pregnancy, loss of spouse, grief, loss of child (past)
December 28, 2023
i think i need to embrace that this author's writing just really isn't for me ([narrator voice] she says, four books into this series). i was bored and cringing at this book's writing a lot more than i was enjoying the story. parts of it i appreciated, like the gentleness that stemmed from and the uniqueness of a pregnant main character. but everything else in this i thought was overwritten and overdramatic. even though i read half of this in one sitting, when i put it down i totally forgot it existed for a few days and ended up skimming the last 40-ish percent because i decided i didn't care
November 21, 2023
When you read Iron Flame and Tairn makes you feel things you weren't ready for and somehow you find yourself reading a Dragon monsterfucker next...
November 8, 2023
The fuck? He was so mean to her. His careless words. His fucked up actions. And he proceeded with an apology, but did the same thing again and again. Where is her dignity? Should’ve never gone to him when she learned about the pregnancy. Surely there were better options that an emotionally unavailable dragons. I HATE HIM. He apologised, but to what end?
No grovel whatsoever and he kept hurting her. Fuck this
No grovel whatsoever and he kept hurting her. Fuck this
January 10, 2024
I'm not really the biggest fan of the MMC who had previous mates that die so now they feel obligated to treat their new mate like absolute dog shit. So this book just wasn't for me.
did-not-finish
November 4, 2023DNF at 7%.
I wanted to like this. Both of the characters seem really interesting. But this is pure erotica. And it starts from the first moment they meet.
I'm not into instalust/instasex at the best of times. This "should" be sexy. But it makes me yawn because I don't know either one of them.
Basically, this witch breaks into the dragon's hoard to steal something for a friend of hers. She's caught and the dragon's like "what do I do with you?"
Her response: "I can help you with your pain and suffering".
He's like "cool".
Clothes fall off and bodily fluids get exchanged.
🥱
I wanted to like this. Both of the characters seem really interesting. But this is pure erotica. And it starts from the first moment they meet.
I'm not into instalust/instasex at the best of times. This "should" be sexy. But it makes me yawn because I don't know either one of them.
Basically, this witch breaks into the dragon's hoard to steal something for a friend of hers. She's caught and the dragon's like "what do I do with you?"
Her response: "I can help you with your pain and suffering".
He's like "cool".
Clothes fall off and bodily fluids get exchanged.
🥱
May 28, 2024
The FMC deserved better. If you’re looking for an MMC who grovels after treating the FMC like the dirt on the bottom of his shoe, then you’re looking at the wrong book because there’s none of that here. I’m pretty sure the MMC could have locked her up with no food or water for years and she would sit there with a smile on her face waiting for him.
June 1, 2025
Plot
On her last mission as a thief Kat gets caught in the act by her victim - an ancient, now very pissed off, dragon who happens to be in heat. She strikes a deal with him: helping him getting through his heat in exchange for him letting her (and her yield) go. Against all odds Kat emerges pregnant from their shared night together, and as it turns out a dragon pregnancy is quite a challenge which leaves her no other choice to ssek out the male she didn't want to see again after how he treated her once his heat was over.
Kalos has been alive for centuries, spending most of them in agony after tragically losing his mate. He managed to survive by distancing himself from his feelings. This eventually led to him and his inner dragon growing apart and while Kalos doesn't want to see Kat again his dragon can't seem to be without her.
Tropes
This book is for you if you like
shifters
dual pov
mates
forced proximity
a very broody MLC
double D and knotting
Thoughts
I love me nice "I can fix him" kind of situation, featuring a hurt, distanced and broody af MLC. Not much is as satifying to me as watching his walls crumble and fall eventually. I'm a sucker for fated mates, the whole idea of two individuals being made for each other is a very comforting trope to me. Nonetheless I appreciated that Kalos was given a second chance after having lost his mate in the past.
The worldbuilding could have been a bit more detailed in some situations; I liked the characters for the most part. They weren't too shallow and had their own beliefs and motivations; maybe the "villains" of the story could have used more depth.
Each book of this series handles a different couple, so I was happy to see familiar faces every now and then.
Consider checking out the trigger warnings, as there are a few heavier topics
On her last mission as a thief Kat gets caught in the act by her victim - an ancient, now very pissed off, dragon who happens to be in heat. She strikes a deal with him: helping him getting through his heat in exchange for him letting her (and her yield) go. Against all odds Kat emerges pregnant from their shared night together, and as it turns out a dragon pregnancy is quite a challenge which leaves her no other choice to ssek out the male she didn't want to see again after how he treated her once his heat was over.
Kalos has been alive for centuries, spending most of them in agony after tragically losing his mate. He managed to survive by distancing himself from his feelings. This eventually led to him and his inner dragon growing apart and while Kalos doesn't want to see Kat again his dragon can't seem to be without her.
Tropes
This book is for you if you like
shifters
dual pov
mates
forced proximity
a very broody MLC
double D and knotting
Thoughts
I love me nice "I can fix him" kind of situation, featuring a hurt, distanced and broody af MLC. Not much is as satifying to me as watching his walls crumble and fall eventually. I'm a sucker for fated mates, the whole idea of two individuals being made for each other is a very comforting trope to me. Nonetheless I appreciated that Kalos was given a second chance after having lost his mate in the past.
The worldbuilding could have been a bit more detailed in some situations; I liked the characters for the most part. They weren't too shallow and had their own beliefs and motivations; maybe the "villains" of the story could have used more depth.
Each book of this series handles a different couple, so I was happy to see familiar faces every now and then.
Consider checking out the trigger warnings, as there are a few heavier topics
January 12, 2025
Terrific Audiobook!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 🙂🥰😎😄
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
The heroine: Katerina - she is a witch who was raised in foster care. She didn’t know she was part of the paranormal world until she was grown. She became a thief at a young age, and a very good one at that. Now as an adult, she doesn’t want to be an outlaw anymore, she is a painter and she does restoration work now and tries to make up for her past sins. Though when her former mentor is in trouble, and asks her to do one last job, stealing a figurine from a Dragon’s hoard, she doesn’t feel like she can say no.
The Hero: Kalos - he is an immortal dragon, whose mate died long ago. He is very wealthy and has a lot of enemies. He is often grumpy, especially when he is in Heat, which he is when he finds a thief in his home, having broken through the wards on his home and eyeing one of the items in his hoard. When the pretty thief offers to take care of him during his heat in exchange for the item she planned to steal, he agrees.
The Story: After spending days in bed together, Kalos’ heat is finally over, and he kicks the thief out of his home. He isn’t worried about causing a pregnancy as Katerina assured him that she is protected by an amulet. It isn’t long before Katerina discovers she is pregnant. After talking to a friend, she finds out that the amulet her mentor gave her needs to be recharged every so often and he never told her. When she shows up at Kalos’s house, he insists she stay with him to protect her and the child from his enemies.
I liked the story quite a bit, especially Katerina’s description of why she left the life of thievery and what she did afterwards. Kalos had harsh words and feelings for the fact that she was a thief, and he ends up being more understanding than I expected. Katerina just wanted to be loved; she wanted her own family since her family had abandoned her in the human world. Though Kalos denied her since his fated mate had died and he didn’t believe Katerina could be another fated mate. His dragon felt a bond with Katerina, but he didn’t so he fought against his feelings for her. I also loved how Kalos created a new inner circle when he decided he would dedicate himself more to Katerina and their child.
This audiobook was done in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Anastasia Watley and Matthew Thomasin. Anastasia has a perfect voice for Katerina, it sounds about the right age for her. Her voice is very pleasant to listen to. Matthew Thomasin has a nice, deep voice that is also very pleasant to listen to. I really enjoyed both the story and the narration, there were plenty of steamy scenes, but not too many.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 🙂🥰😎😄
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
The heroine: Katerina - she is a witch who was raised in foster care. She didn’t know she was part of the paranormal world until she was grown. She became a thief at a young age, and a very good one at that. Now as an adult, she doesn’t want to be an outlaw anymore, she is a painter and she does restoration work now and tries to make up for her past sins. Though when her former mentor is in trouble, and asks her to do one last job, stealing a figurine from a Dragon’s hoard, she doesn’t feel like she can say no.
The Hero: Kalos - he is an immortal dragon, whose mate died long ago. He is very wealthy and has a lot of enemies. He is often grumpy, especially when he is in Heat, which he is when he finds a thief in his home, having broken through the wards on his home and eyeing one of the items in his hoard. When the pretty thief offers to take care of him during his heat in exchange for the item she planned to steal, he agrees.
The Story: After spending days in bed together, Kalos’ heat is finally over, and he kicks the thief out of his home. He isn’t worried about causing a pregnancy as Katerina assured him that she is protected by an amulet. It isn’t long before Katerina discovers she is pregnant. After talking to a friend, she finds out that the amulet her mentor gave her needs to be recharged every so often and he never told her. When she shows up at Kalos’s house, he insists she stay with him to protect her and the child from his enemies.
I liked the story quite a bit, especially Katerina’s description of why she left the life of thievery and what she did afterwards. Kalos had harsh words and feelings for the fact that she was a thief, and he ends up being more understanding than I expected. Katerina just wanted to be loved; she wanted her own family since her family had abandoned her in the human world. Though Kalos denied her since his fated mate had died and he didn’t believe Katerina could be another fated mate. His dragon felt a bond with Katerina, but he didn’t so he fought against his feelings for her. I also loved how Kalos created a new inner circle when he decided he would dedicate himself more to Katerina and their child.
This audiobook was done in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Anastasia Watley and Matthew Thomasin. Anastasia has a perfect voice for Katerina, it sounds about the right age for her. Her voice is very pleasant to listen to. Matthew Thomasin has a nice, deep voice that is also very pleasant to listen to. I really enjoyed both the story and the narration, there were plenty of steamy scenes, but not too many.
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November 2, 2023
4.5 stars! Hoarded by the Dragon is the latest monster romance from Lillian Lark and I always have a good time with her reads! This one is an accidental pregnancy romance with a dragon hero!
Katarina is a witch and a thief who gets caught trying to steal from a dragon’s hoard when the story starts. Kalos, the dragon, finds her and she ends up making a bargain with him…she’ll help out his current pain since he’s in heat, if he lets her go. They end up hooking up and later on Katarina realizes she’s pregnant! Things get more complicated when she tells him she’s pregnant since he says dragons can only breed with their mate…and that he already had a mate in the past!
I really enjoyed this one! I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but I shouldn’t have doubted since I always have fun with this author’s monster romances! This one is longer, but worth the read. She’s a witch that was raised by humans, he’s a dragon and has two 🍆🍆 (1 of which is ribbed 👀), he says he will be there for her since she’s the mother of his child and moves her in with him, we get tons of “WHERE IS MY MATE?” energy, a trip to the boathouse (featured in Stalked by the Kraken), and calls her his “queen” often. I liked the tension and angst in this one with Kalos wondering if he can bond with someone again after the loss of his mate in the past. Definitely recommend!
I received an ARC from the author, all thoughts in this review are my own! Hoarded by the Dragon is out November 3, 2023.
CW (provided by the author): breeding, accidental pregnancy, struggles with self-worth, birth, pregnancy health scare, past loss of child and mate mentioned, minor body negativity by side character
Katarina is a witch and a thief who gets caught trying to steal from a dragon’s hoard when the story starts. Kalos, the dragon, finds her and she ends up making a bargain with him…she’ll help out his current pain since he’s in heat, if he lets her go. They end up hooking up and later on Katarina realizes she’s pregnant! Things get more complicated when she tells him she’s pregnant since he says dragons can only breed with their mate…and that he already had a mate in the past!
I really enjoyed this one! I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but I shouldn’t have doubted since I always have fun with this author’s monster romances! This one is longer, but worth the read. She’s a witch that was raised by humans, he’s a dragon and has two 🍆🍆 (1 of which is ribbed 👀), he says he will be there for her since she’s the mother of his child and moves her in with him, we get tons of “WHERE IS MY MATE?” energy, a trip to the boathouse (featured in Stalked by the Kraken), and calls her his “queen” often. I liked the tension and angst in this one with Kalos wondering if he can bond with someone again after the loss of his mate in the past. Definitely recommend!
I received an ARC from the author, all thoughts in this review are my own! Hoarded by the Dragon is out November 3, 2023.
CW (provided by the author): breeding, accidental pregnancy, struggles with self-worth, birth, pregnancy health scare, past loss of child and mate mentioned, minor body negativity by side character
December 22, 2023
FMC? PATHETIC, pitiful, frustrating.
Mmc? Bull headed, stubborn, annoying, mean.
The “pregnancy”? Completely inauthentic and unbelievable. Terribly written.
The sex? GARBAGE. Snooze fest.
Thé plot? Ass. Infuriating.
Pacing? Let’s just say this could’ve easily been a 150 page book instead.
I couldn’t connect with a single thing in this whole book. And it was a LONG book.
Mmc? Bull headed, stubborn, annoying, mean.
The “pregnancy”? Completely inauthentic and unbelievable. Terribly written.
The sex? GARBAGE. Snooze fest.
Thé plot? Ass. Infuriating.
Pacing? Let’s just say this could’ve easily been a 150 page book instead.
I couldn’t connect with a single thing in this whole book. And it was a LONG book.
March 19, 2024
4.5⭐
this was SO COZY. lillian lark has mastered the balance of sweetness, spice, and nail-biting plot. i couldn't put it down.
this was SO COZY. lillian lark has mastered the balance of sweetness, spice, and nail-biting plot. i couldn't put it down.
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November 11, 2023
3.75 ⭐️ Monstrous Matches IV: Dragon x Witch
Even though this was not my favourite in the series, it still had all the Lillian Lark charm I'd been craving.
I was so excited to learn that this was Kalos' book since he definitely got my attention in Entranced by the Basilisks (which is my fave in this series!) Still, I think Kalos might have been my least favourite part of this book. This book felt a lot more emotional and heavy than Lark's previous books within this series. Kalos' past was part of that, of course, but I usually do enjoy it. Here, Kalos felt wrong... It felt almost like a dark romance, how dismissive and borderline abusive he was towards Katarina. Sure he was trying to protect himself, but ultimately he was talking to the mother of his child. Kalos felt... well... callous (i know, corny but I'm serious). He was hurtful and insensitive with zero remorse, and I don't really think that he was all that redeemable, even in the end.
I loved Katarina as an fmc. She felt naive but weathered, in a way that suited Kalos' personality nicely. Now, onto the fun parts of this book. As always, Lillian Lark brings in the heat and this book is no less. It starts with Katarina trying to steal a precious statue from his hoard... and Kalos immediately catching her, of course. The only problem is that his dragon is going through a heat, and Katarina decides to offer herself to the dragon in exchange for her life (very much instalust -which I love!) When she walks away the next morning, neither of them knows that she's carrying something much more valuable than a statue. I do have to say that I , but this book makes it work. eventually. The reparations/repeat scenes are cute.
Kalos is, anatomically... doubled (iykwim), which is incredibly interesting and entertaining to read. This book is very much open-door and it's incredibly smutty, so if that's not your preference, this series might not be for you. It is, however, very much for me. I loved it. The way Lark writes intimacy and s3x is amazing and I always want more!
As it's usual with Lillian Lark's books, I loved this and I cannot wait to read more! I need the next one to be Stella's so bad!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / 5
🌶🌶🌶🌶 / 5
Even though this was not my favourite in the series, it still had all the Lillian Lark charm I'd been craving.
I was so excited to learn that this was Kalos' book since he definitely got my attention in Entranced by the Basilisks (which is my fave in this series!) Still, I think Kalos might have been my least favourite part of this book. This book felt a lot more emotional and heavy than Lark's previous books within this series. Kalos' past was part of that, of course, but I usually do enjoy it. Here, Kalos felt wrong... It felt almost like a dark romance, how dismissive and borderline abusive he was towards Katarina. Sure he was trying to protect himself, but ultimately he was talking to the mother of his child. Kalos felt... well... callous (i know, corny but I'm serious). He was hurtful and insensitive with zero remorse, and I don't really think that he was all that redeemable, even in the end.
I loved Katarina as an fmc. She felt naive but weathered, in a way that suited Kalos' personality nicely. Now, onto the fun parts of this book. As always, Lillian Lark brings in the heat and this book is no less. It starts with Katarina trying to steal a precious statue from his hoard... and Kalos immediately catching her, of course. The only problem is that his dragon is going through a heat, and Katarina decides to offer herself to the dragon in exchange for her life (very much instalust -which I love!) When she walks away the next morning, neither of them knows that she's carrying something much more valuable than a statue. I do have to say that I , but this book makes it work. eventually. The reparations/repeat scenes are cute.
Kalos is, anatomically... doubled (iykwim), which is incredibly interesting and entertaining to read. This book is very much open-door and it's incredibly smutty, so if that's not your preference, this series might not be for you. It is, however, very much for me. I loved it. The way Lark writes intimacy and s3x is amazing and I always want more!
As it's usual with Lillian Lark's books, I loved this and I cannot wait to read more! I need the next one to be Stella's so bad!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / 5
🌶🌶🌶🌶 / 5
October 28, 2023
ARC REVIEW (thanks Lillian!)
Dammit I loved this. I know surprise pregnancy books are not everyone’s cup of tea but this was delightful. Katerina and Kalos were perfection.
It’s hard for me to like a lot of female characters, authors tend to make the “tough girl” just a bitch. Rina just wanted someone to love her and she wasn’t shy with her emotions, I loved that. When Kalos rejects her she’s like that sucks but it’s fine I have my baby.
Poor Kalos broke my heart. His reasoning for not opening up to Rina were valid and his growth mending his old friendships was so heartwarming.
Even though they make a baby after one hot night together this was a slow burn (get it?!) Kalos having to snuggle Rina to give the baby heat was so sweet and showed them slowly falling in love.
The ending went a little bonkers for me and I guess we’ll learn more about Stoneheart in the next book. Poor Ben! 😭😭
Dammit I loved this. I know surprise pregnancy books are not everyone’s cup of tea but this was delightful. Katerina and Kalos were perfection.
It’s hard for me to like a lot of female characters, authors tend to make the “tough girl” just a bitch. Rina just wanted someone to love her and she wasn’t shy with her emotions, I loved that. When Kalos rejects her she’s like that sucks but it’s fine I have my baby.
Poor Kalos broke my heart. His reasoning for not opening up to Rina were valid and his growth mending his old friendships was so heartwarming.
Even though they make a baby after one hot night together this was a slow burn (get it?!) Kalos having to snuggle Rina to give the baby heat was so sweet and showed them slowly falling in love.
The ending went a little bonkers for me and I guess we’ll learn more about Stoneheart in the next book. Poor Ben! 😭😭
November 15, 2024
➝ 2 stars
this book was eerily reminiscent of the kraken’s sacrifice by katee robert in a surprising number of ways. (spoilers) we have the über powerful, ancient being that is incredibly standoffish, had a mate that passed away, and now has no desire for a new one. we have the slightly naive, love-starved main character who remains hopeful in the face of neglectful behavior and hurtful comments. we even have an accidental pregnancy. but you know what’s really the cherry on top? the fact that their names are fucking CATALINA and KATERINA. bruh.
the truth is that i absolutely hated the kraken’s sacrifice, and so that left me feeling very uneasy while reading this book bc of how many similarities there seemed to be. i think that ultimately, both stories suffered from the lengths of their books, with TKS being far too short, clocking in at 182 pages, and HBTD being far too long at 379. at least with hoarded by the dragon we got the time to actually see the relationship be properly developed, but that doesn’t really mean anything when you dislike both the characters and their relationship. in reality, the length of a book shouldn’t matter as long as the writing is done well, and imo, both books failed spectacularly on that front.
katerina as a character was clearly meant to be lovable in the way that you saw what a good person she was, and how much effort she put into doing things for other people. but unfortunately to me she just read as being so desperate for any tiny kernel of affection that she would constantly forgive all of the callous and inconsiderate things kalos would do/say to her (again, very reminiscent of catalina & thane’s relationship). i recently heard someone say “i don’t compare his current effort to his past effort, i compare him to my standards” and i truly, truly feel like this is something ms. katerina needs to hear for herself. bc the way she would so easily latch on to any small gesture kalos would make, even directly after treating her horribly was seriously painful to witness. like, please. for the love of god STAND THE FUCK UP.
this book was eerily reminiscent of the kraken’s sacrifice by katee robert in a surprising number of ways. (spoilers) we have the über powerful, ancient being that is incredibly standoffish, had a mate that passed away, and now has no desire for a new one. we have the slightly naive, love-starved main character who remains hopeful in the face of neglectful behavior and hurtful comments. we even have an accidental pregnancy. but you know what’s really the cherry on top? the fact that their names are fucking CATALINA and KATERINA. bruh.
the truth is that i absolutely hated the kraken’s sacrifice, and so that left me feeling very uneasy while reading this book bc of how many similarities there seemed to be. i think that ultimately, both stories suffered from the lengths of their books, with TKS being far too short, clocking in at 182 pages, and HBTD being far too long at 379. at least with hoarded by the dragon we got the time to actually see the relationship be properly developed, but that doesn’t really mean anything when you dislike both the characters and their relationship. in reality, the length of a book shouldn’t matter as long as the writing is done well, and imo, both books failed spectacularly on that front.
katerina as a character was clearly meant to be lovable in the way that you saw what a good person she was, and how much effort she put into doing things for other people. but unfortunately to me she just read as being so desperate for any tiny kernel of affection that she would constantly forgive all of the callous and inconsiderate things kalos would do/say to her (again, very reminiscent of catalina & thane’s relationship). i recently heard someone say “i don’t compare his current effort to his past effort, i compare him to my standards” and i truly, truly feel like this is something ms. katerina needs to hear for herself. bc the way she would so easily latch on to any small gesture kalos would make, even directly after treating her horribly was seriously painful to witness. like, please. for the love of god STAND THE FUCK UP.
November 7, 2023
“You honor me. I strive to be worthy of you.” Kalos cradles my cheek, the talons warm against my skin.
“You already are,” I say. But Kalos shakes his head.
“Not yet, but someday…”
January 26, 2024
5 stars!
Lillian Lark is my go-to for monster romance, and this had everything I ever wanted in one book:
✅ A dragon, a thief who is caught stealing from his hoard, and transaction sex that leads to an unexpected pregnancy.
✅ My ‘ideal’ level of angst (Kalos pushes her away because of his unresolved grief, Katarina has been searching for love and acceptance her entire life, what could go wrong??), balanced with caregiving and so 🥹 much 🥹 cuddling 🥹. There were lots of sweet moments between them and I empathised with both characters, even when Kalos’ words were cruel.
✅ Two cocks and a knot (with all the permutations 😏), breeding and praise kink vibes.
Possibly my favourite of the series so far, or at least equal first place alongside Stalked by the Kraken (which I now want to re-read).
Also, Stella’s story? Can. not. wait.
Lillian Lark is my go-to for monster romance, and this had everything I ever wanted in one book:
✅ A dragon, a thief who is caught stealing from his hoard, and transaction sex that leads to an unexpected pregnancy.
✅ My ‘ideal’ level of angst (Kalos pushes her away because of his unresolved grief, Katarina has been searching for love and acceptance her entire life, what could go wrong??), balanced with caregiving and so 🥹 much 🥹 cuddling 🥹. There were lots of sweet moments between them and I empathised with both characters, even when Kalos’ words were cruel.
✅ Two cocks and a knot (with all the permutations 😏), breeding and praise kink vibes.
Possibly my favourite of the series so far, or at least equal first place alongside Stalked by the Kraken (which I now want to re-read).
Also, Stella’s story? Can. not. wait.
January 26, 2024
DNF 70% I should have stopped sooner.
Trust me when I say, this is nonsense.
Trust me when I say, this is nonsense.
November 5, 2023
4.5🌟!
I’m never ready for the emotional punch this author dishes out, whenever I’m reading her book and this book was no exception.
Writing is flawless and I just wanted to keep on reading. Katarina is one such heroine who you can’t help but resonate with. Her loneliness echoed with me. I loved her and was so happy to see her growth in the book. Fate dealt her with sh**ty hands and she still made a honourable life for her.
Now, Kalos was such a jerk (numerous times) that I agree with Rina’s statement, ‘Idiotic Giant Lizard’!
But I loved him. He was such a tortured soul and worked on his issues relentlessly for Rina and their bright future. And that’s what sway me towards him.
But for me the highlight of the book was Kalos’ possessive, obsessed and at times adorable Dragon.
The reason I didn’t give it full stars was, I hate dead spouse trope and I do wish Rina made Kalos work for her forgiveness a little more.
Epilogue was perfect but the Bonus chapter… chef’s kiss!
If you love a superbly written romance with plenty of steam, kinks, emotions, lovely secondary characters, self discovery and so much, read this book.
I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
—breeding.
—Thief x Dragon.
—Forced proximity, accidental. Pregnancy.
—angst, KU and safe.
I’m never ready for the emotional punch this author dishes out, whenever I’m reading her book and this book was no exception.
Writing is flawless and I just wanted to keep on reading. Katarina is one such heroine who you can’t help but resonate with. Her loneliness echoed with me. I loved her and was so happy to see her growth in the book. Fate dealt her with sh**ty hands and she still made a honourable life for her.
Now, Kalos was such a jerk (numerous times) that I agree with Rina’s statement, ‘Idiotic Giant Lizard’!
But I loved him. He was such a tortured soul and worked on his issues relentlessly for Rina and their bright future. And that’s what sway me towards him.
But for me the highlight of the book was Kalos’ possessive, obsessed and at times adorable Dragon.
The reason I didn’t give it full stars was, I hate dead spouse trope and I do wish Rina made Kalos work for her forgiveness a little more.
Epilogue was perfect but the Bonus chapter… chef’s kiss!
If you love a superbly written romance with plenty of steam, kinks, emotions, lovely secondary characters, self discovery and so much, read this book.
I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
—breeding.
—Thief x Dragon.
—Forced proximity, accidental. Pregnancy.
—angst, KU and safe.
December 13, 2023
i am begging for a double-d*cked wealthy businessman dragon to make me the mother of his spicy-food-loving child and move me into his estate, give me some paintbrushes, and assure me i’d never have to work again. (tamlin if you're reading this, please note that this only works if you have two penises)
BEGGING.
i would die for lillian lark, bringer of the hottest monster smut that doesn’t sacrifice sweet, emotional romance, love of my life, queen of my universe.
hoarded by the dragon is HEAVY on the breeding trope — and accidental pregnancy trope, but like, right away, and in a way that i think most people won’t mind — heavy on the smut in general, heavy on the ANGSTY YEARNING, heavy on the traumatic backstory, and heavy on the LOVE. i want to live inside this book.
brb, lighting a candle at my shrine to lillian. thank you for another delicious romance spicy enough to quell a growing dragon’s needs.
BEGGING.
i would die for lillian lark, bringer of the hottest monster smut that doesn’t sacrifice sweet, emotional romance, love of my life, queen of my universe.
hoarded by the dragon is HEAVY on the breeding trope — and accidental pregnancy trope, but like, right away, and in a way that i think most people won’t mind — heavy on the smut in general, heavy on the ANGSTY YEARNING, heavy on the traumatic backstory, and heavy on the LOVE. i want to live inside this book.
brb, lighting a candle at my shrine to lillian. thank you for another delicious romance spicy enough to quell a growing dragon’s needs.
November 6, 2023
i can’t say i enjoyed everything in this book. mmc was okay 40% of his appearances. he broke fmc’s heart half the times he opened his mouth.
wtf😀😀😀
poor fmc. he was constantly giving her mixed signals. one moment he’s seducing and courting her , the next - he didn’t want to do anything with her. it was a constant mental torture.
wtf😀😀😀
“Why would I mate myself to a woman who would sell herself for a bauble?”
His words are a sharp slap, but he’s not done.
“Someone foolish with no self-preservation. Being mated to you would be a lower circle of hell. You’ve served your purpose. Now leave.”
“But the night we spent together—”
His eyes freeze over, and my words dry up. “Was about sex,” he says. “Not love, and it was a mistake.”
poor fmc. he was constantly giving her mixed signals. one moment he’s seducing and courting her , the next - he didn’t want to do anything with her. it was a constant mental torture.
October 25, 2023
I love this universe!💕 This was a great addition to this world. I’m loving that some of these books are MF, MMF, RH. This one was MF and a little more on the enemies-to-lovers spectrum than most of this authors books.
These books are all interconnected standalones but separate enough that if you just read this book you wouldn’t be lost (except that it’s so fun to see previous characters!)
Grief, abandonment and growth are huge themes in this book and I loved being along for the journey. I definitely wanted to slap our surly dragon a couple times on the way but the ending was so sugar sweet!
I do wish we learned more about our heroines background/species but I’m sure we’ll see them in future books so who knows.
And- as always, the spice was great! Totally recommend!
These books are all interconnected standalones but separate enough that if you just read this book you wouldn’t be lost (except that it’s so fun to see previous characters!)
Grief, abandonment and growth are huge themes in this book and I loved being along for the journey. I definitely wanted to slap our surly dragon a couple times on the way but the ending was so sugar sweet!
I do wish we learned more about our heroines background/species but I’m sure we’ll see them in future books so who knows.
And- as always, the spice was great! Totally recommend!
June 19, 2025
Lillian Lark always delivers!!
So a witch cat burgles a dragon's hoard, dragon catches her, dragon is actually in heat, witch offers to ~service~ his heat in exchange for him to let her go. They bang.
A week later, witch realizes she's pregnant. Uh oh.
I adore the Monstrous Matches series and this installment was no different. There's a heavy dose of smut (he has two dicks, a knot, and a penchant for breeding. :]), some sweetness, some grief and vulnerability, and a side suspenseful storyline. It's the full package.
I did find it to be a touch longer than I wanted, but still really enjoyed this!
So a witch cat burgles a dragon's hoard, dragon catches her, dragon is actually in heat, witch offers to ~service~ his heat in exchange for him to let her go. They bang.
A week later, witch realizes she's pregnant. Uh oh.
I adore the Monstrous Matches series and this installment was no different. There's a heavy dose of smut (he has two dicks, a knot, and a penchant for breeding. :]), some sweetness, some grief and vulnerability, and a side suspenseful storyline. It's the full package.
I did find it to be a touch longer than I wanted, but still really enjoyed this!
November 5, 2023
4.5 ⭐️⭐️ another great fated mates paranormal romance from Lilian!!
Thieving witch x troubled dragon 🐉
The story begins when our little Katarina tries to steal a figurine🪆from Kalos the badass-dragon. It juuuust so happens that Kalos is going through a heat on the night of the break-in….what a coincidence! 🤭
First things first. Our Kalos has TWO 🍆🍆 & you can imagine what happens as intimacy between characters relationship….grows. The two are not only different shapes but serve different PURPOSES 👏 we love a well thought out paranormal smut!!
Look, I know pregnancy trope and breeding kinks are not everyone’s cup of 🫖 But if this is your brand you’re going to LOVE the storyline!! While other contemporary pregnancy 🤰 plots can get a bit boring this is a MAGICAL pregnancy. The symptoms are strange and there is HEALTH MANDATED CUDDLING!🧎🏽♀️wow this was my favorite!! It helped mmc get involved with the pregnancy. The forced proximity in this book 🤌🤌
Kalos aka dragon-baby-daddy sent some of the worst mixed signals. But he actually had some severe trauma from the millennia or god knows how long he has been on this Earth…we forgive we forget 💖
Through the story Kalos battles his inner beast. Due to his trauma his beast 🐉 had split from his logical side and Kalos must find a way to reconcile both for the sake of his relationship with fmc.
Favorite part: when Kalos refuses to shift to full dragon because he’s scared the beast 🐉 will steal the fmc away, HOARD her in the wild and not shift back 🥹🥹
two 🍆🍆 (major plus honestly)
insta lust
breeding kink
🪢 knotting
fated mates ✨
🍑 play
forced proximity (health mandated cuddling)
found family
August 2, 2024
I am a dragon. It's time that people remember that.
It's time that I remember that.
There will be nothing left but ashes.
But we must figure out a way to make it lawful first.
This was still good, but I definitely didn't love it in the same way I loved some of the previous installments in the series. First of all, I do prefer a bit softer heroes in my romances, which... as you can tell from the quote above Kalos was not - although obviously we got some pretty soft and mushy scenes with him. Secondly, I'm just not the biggest fan of pregnancy romance, even though I didn't mind it as much as I thought I would.
Now, what am I going to do with myself before the next book comes out?
3,5⭐
January 1, 2024
Ended up being pretty boring and there was way too much justification from the heroine about her past misdeeds. Give me a break, she wasn't some master criminal. I find stories where the heroine has to constantly "repent" for past deeds (not against hero) a remnant of more misogynistic times where a woman had to be humiliated and basically repent on her knees for anything while for heroes an "i'm sorry" is more than enough. Why this obsession with humbling women? Why aren't men held to the same standards?
Apart from that, the story was boring, unoriginal and the MCs had no chemistry.
Apart from that, the story was boring, unoriginal and the MCs had no chemistry.
April 6, 2024
Cheesy title, weird cover... Don't let that stop you. This is sooo good.
Cheesy title, weird cover... Don't let that stop you. This is sooo good.
I went into this with my eyes rolling but instantly took the action back. This book is great. It has everything from a real, deep connection to lots of emotional d well rounded characters.
Kalos and Rina are so good together.
Cheesy title, weird cover... Don't let that stop you. This is sooo good.
I went into this with my eyes rolling but instantly took the action back. This book is great. It has everything from a real, deep connection to lots of emotional d well rounded characters.
Kalos and Rina are so good together.
November 13, 2023
So steamy and un-put-down-able
I highly enjoyed that! I’ve been on a fanfic kick, but I saw a video on TikTok from the author and just could not stop myself. I’m not usually a fan of surprise pregnancy, but the idea of them having to be in close proximity for their safety? It sounded so wonderfully ‘🦆 or die’ that I just had to pick it up.
I’m so glad I did.
This book is beautifully steamy. Even though our dragon, Kalos, is a straight up butthole on many many occasions he is undoubtedly an extremely sMexy book boyfriend. The two 🍆 situation was a lot of fun to read. I loved that we got a bathhouse scene, too! I’ve only read two other books by this author, but both featured the bathhouse so I like that it brings the books together.
I also have to say that this book is definitely my favorite from this author so far. Each of her other books that I’ve read, while very good, had moments where I had no problems putting them down. That was not the case here. I genuinely could not put this down. I finally had to allow myself to sleep around 4am and when I woke up five hours later the first thing I did was open up my Kindle and finish this book.
I though Kalos was a jerk and I don’t know if I wouldn’t forgiven him for some of the things he did the way Rina - in her infinite capacity for love, care, and forgiveness - was able to. Sure, she put him through his paces and he certainly deserved it. But honestly, it was Rina that made me love this book. I love her story. I love her kindness. I wanted her to find her contentment - her true family - more than anything. And by family I don’t mean her biological family (she’s an orphan witch who grew up in a human orphanage and had a very hard time there) but I mean her found family. Her best friend, her child, her ‘inner circle’, and her mate - when he finally got his horns out of his tush and deserved her.
Overall, I highly recommend this story. It’s got breeding, knotting, two peens, bathhouse fun times, and tons of cuddles. It’s also got heart. Come for the sMexy, stay for the plot. 5 stars. 4 1/2 chili peppers. Highly highly recommend!
I highly enjoyed that! I’ve been on a fanfic kick, but I saw a video on TikTok from the author and just could not stop myself. I’m not usually a fan of surprise pregnancy, but the idea of them having to be in close proximity for their safety? It sounded so wonderfully ‘🦆 or die’ that I just had to pick it up.
I’m so glad I did.
This book is beautifully steamy. Even though our dragon, Kalos, is a straight up butthole on many many occasions he is undoubtedly an extremely sMexy book boyfriend. The two 🍆 situation was a lot of fun to read. I loved that we got a bathhouse scene, too! I’ve only read two other books by this author, but both featured the bathhouse so I like that it brings the books together.
I also have to say that this book is definitely my favorite from this author so far. Each of her other books that I’ve read, while very good, had moments where I had no problems putting them down. That was not the case here. I genuinely could not put this down. I finally had to allow myself to sleep around 4am and when I woke up five hours later the first thing I did was open up my Kindle and finish this book.
I though Kalos was a jerk and I don’t know if I wouldn’t forgiven him for some of the things he did the way Rina - in her infinite capacity for love, care, and forgiveness - was able to. Sure, she put him through his paces and he certainly deserved it. But honestly, it was Rina that made me love this book. I love her story. I love her kindness. I wanted her to find her contentment - her true family - more than anything. And by family I don’t mean her biological family (she’s an orphan witch who grew up in a human orphanage and had a very hard time there) but I mean her found family. Her best friend, her child, her ‘inner circle’, and her mate - when he finally got his horns out of his tush and deserved her.
Overall, I highly recommend this story. It’s got breeding, knotting, two peens, bathhouse fun times, and tons of cuddles. It’s also got heart. Come for the sMexy, stay for the plot. 5 stars. 4 1/2 chili peppers. Highly highly recommend!
July 10, 2025
I am…disappointed.
I love dragon shifters. It’s what I first read on Wattpad, before moving on to wolf shifters. They are just so incredibly hot to me a way that I don’t know if I want to understand 😭 That being said, I was extremely disappointed in this book.
The entire book felt repetitive and annoying. This is the plot: sex and arguments and sex and arguments about feelings and sex and a small physical altercation and more sex. Like yes, I knew going into this it would be smutty - but come onnnn. Give me some world building. Give me emotionally complex characters and a convincing arc.
Katarina’s character was very meh. She had no thoughts besides sex and art. She had an occasional thought about her unborn child, but even that was shadowed by sex and her feelings about Kalos.
Kalos 🙄 God I really didn’t like him. He was supposed to be like a thousand years old, but had the maturity and thoughtfulness of a 12 year old. I felt zero connection to him at all. Even his trauma felt surface level and annoying to me. We knew literally nothing about his race or his history.
The pregnancy was supposed to be a large plot point, but to me it was a barely there afterthought. The most we got was “Oh it’s a baby dragon so it needs heat energy” and an occasional hand on stomach. Maybe it’s just me, but I expected a lot more emotional turmoil over Kat becoming a mom unexpectedly. Like I love kids and have wanted them forever, but if I unexpectedly got pregnant I would freak tf out. It would be very hard for me to emotionally get through a surprise pregnancy, and it felt like Kat went “oh okay whatever” way too fast.
I also haven’t read any of the other books in this series, so maybe that was why I wasn’t very connected to it and didn’t have any world building…
I love dragon shifters. It’s what I first read on Wattpad, before moving on to wolf shifters. They are just so incredibly hot to me a way that I don’t know if I want to understand 😭 That being said, I was extremely disappointed in this book.
The entire book felt repetitive and annoying. This is the plot: sex and arguments and sex and arguments about feelings and sex and a small physical altercation and more sex. Like yes, I knew going into this it would be smutty - but come onnnn. Give me some world building. Give me emotionally complex characters and a convincing arc.
Katarina’s character was very meh. She had no thoughts besides sex and art. She had an occasional thought about her unborn child, but even that was shadowed by sex and her feelings about Kalos.
Kalos 🙄 God I really didn’t like him. He was supposed to be like a thousand years old, but had the maturity and thoughtfulness of a 12 year old. I felt zero connection to him at all. Even his trauma felt surface level and annoying to me. We knew literally nothing about his race or his history.
The pregnancy was supposed to be a large plot point, but to me it was a barely there afterthought. The most we got was “Oh it’s a baby dragon so it needs heat energy” and an occasional hand on stomach. Maybe it’s just me, but I expected a lot more emotional turmoil over Kat becoming a mom unexpectedly. Like I love kids and have wanted them forever, but if I unexpectedly got pregnant I would freak tf out. It would be very hard for me to emotionally get through a surprise pregnancy, and it felt like Kat went “oh okay whatever” way too fast.
I also haven’t read any of the other books in this series, so maybe that was why I wasn’t very connected to it and didn’t have any world building…
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