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The Dragon Shifter's Mate: a Lesbian Fantasy Romance
From indie author Eel Lovesick comes a spicy Sapphic Fantasy standalone about magic and dragons.
All Séarlait wants is a single fantastical memory to get her through the mundane life of a peasant. As the breadwinner for five little sisters and an unsupportive mother who would rather see her alone than with another woman, Séarlait can only hope for one glimpse of the mysterious dragon-shifters...
Koivulotta has a problem that can only be solved with blood. After returning to her homeland for mating season and discovering a lack of sapphic females, she has to shift into her seldom used humen form to escape her mating instincts. Only the blood of a humen allows her to shift.
When a peasant woman stumbles onto the scene wanting to see a dragon up close, Koi leaps at the chance to taste her… until a former suitor comes back to curse her precious morsel.
All Séarlait wants is a single fantastical memory to get her through the mundane life of a peasant. As the breadwinner for five little sisters and an unsupportive mother who would rather see her alone than with another woman, Séarlait can only hope for one glimpse of the mysterious dragon-shifters...
Koivulotta has a problem that can only be solved with blood. After returning to her homeland for mating season and discovering a lack of sapphic females, she has to shift into her seldom used humen form to escape her mating instincts. Only the blood of a humen allows her to shift.
When a peasant woman stumbles onto the scene wanting to see a dragon up close, Koi leaps at the chance to taste her… until a former suitor comes back to curse her precious morsel.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2024
54 people are currently reading
322 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
June 6, 2024
So… was no one going to mention the dragon f@$&ing a horse? That seems like critical information to include so I don’t stumble upon that crap.
August 6, 2024
Sapphic Dragons? Yes, Please!
Interesting quick story revolving around a dragon and her human. The dragon needs a drop of human blood to shift into her human form so she doesn’t get the mating frenzy of her fellow dragons. And being a sapphic dragon, she definitely doesn’t want that!
This story was very interesting and unique. There were twists I wasn’t expecting and turns that were smoking in a very good way. For basically being predator and prey, there was an amazing amount of communication, honesty and openness between our MCs. If you like shifter romance then this story is for you!
Interesting quick story revolving around a dragon and her human. The dragon needs a drop of human blood to shift into her human form so she doesn’t get the mating frenzy of her fellow dragons. And being a sapphic dragon, she definitely doesn’t want that!
This story was very interesting and unique. There were twists I wasn’t expecting and turns that were smoking in a very good way. For basically being predator and prey, there was an amazing amount of communication, honesty and openness between our MCs. If you like shifter romance then this story is for you!
August 11, 2025
An interesting novella
This was definitely a surprising monster romance. I didn’t expect some of the things in it to happen, but then again, it was a monster romance. I really liked the idea of dragon shifters, but the dragons being sapphic was even better. The ending was satisfying, but I’d like it if there were more interaction with Séarlait’s family. I’d love to know if her half-sisters found out about her. It was a quick read, and as always, I wish it were longer.
This was definitely a surprising monster romance. I didn’t expect some of the things in it to happen, but then again, it was a monster romance. I really liked the idea of dragon shifters, but the dragons being sapphic was even better. The ending was satisfying, but I’d like it if there were more interaction with Séarlait’s family. I’d love to know if her half-sisters found out about her. It was a quick read, and as always, I wish it were longer.
September 9, 2024
Extraño, muy raro en ciertas escenas, pero fácil de leer.
September 29, 2025
Good and different
This story was good and different. It has some unique sex scenes. This book has an HEA and is worth the read.
This story was good and different. It has some unique sex scenes. This book has an HEA and is worth the read.
October 16, 2025
a fun sapphic monster fucking read. nothing groundbreaking, but what a giggle.
June 23, 2024
A unique little read with a very lovable sapphic couple.
1. Was I able to finish it? Yes ⭐
2. Was it well written? Yes ⭐
3. Was it well edited/formatted? Mostly
4. Did I enjoy it? Yes ⭐
5. Was it sapphic? Yes ⭐
4.5 (rounded up to 5 for Goodreads)
The spice level is high in this one, with some rather... interesting scenes. Still, it was between two shifters (dragon-human and horse-human) and all very clearly consensual. Plenty of fluff and warm fuzzies to go with the spice, too -- Koi and Séarlait made a very cute couple!
A note that there is some pretty aggressive homophobia from some side characters, most gruesomely the MC's mother. As someone who spends a lot of time in the comfort of books with queernormative worlds, the homophobia cast a shadow over an otherwise fun setting.
Also --
1. Was I able to finish it? Yes ⭐
2. Was it well written? Yes ⭐
3. Was it well edited/formatted? Mostly
4. Did I enjoy it? Yes ⭐
5. Was it sapphic? Yes ⭐
4.5 (rounded up to 5 for Goodreads)
The spice level is high in this one, with some rather... interesting scenes. Still, it was between two shifters (dragon-human and horse-human) and all very clearly consensual. Plenty of fluff and warm fuzzies to go with the spice, too -- Koi and Séarlait made a very cute couple!
A note that there is some pretty aggressive homophobia from some side characters, most gruesomely the MC's mother. As someone who spends a lot of time in the comfort of books with queernormative worlds, the homophobia cast a shadow over an otherwise fun setting.
Also --
June 4, 2024
This was my first time ever reading a fantasy monster romance! I really liked it- not my usual genre but it's definitely something I'd like to read more of.
Séarlait and Koi had very enjoyable banter. I chuckled a good amount of times and they were honestly quite sweet with each other.
Very short and sweet novella. If you want a quick read this is a good one to pick up!
Oh and there are multiple spicy scenes as well ✨️🥵
Séarlait and Koi had very enjoyable banter. I chuckled a good amount of times and they were honestly quite sweet with each other.
Very short and sweet novella. If you want a quick read this is a good one to pick up!
Oh and there are multiple spicy scenes as well ✨️🥵
February 21, 2026
Ummmm....never going to look at horses the same way anymore...girl wtf!
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"Love used to sustain me, but each fling was another knife in my heart that had left it a mutilated hollow unable to hold anything but a nameless yearning for something" - Plot was weird, but the quotes be hittin!
---------------
"Love used to sustain me, but each fling was another knife in my heart that had left it a mutilated hollow unable to hold anything but a nameless yearning for something" - Plot was weird, but the quotes be hittin!
June 16, 2024
This was a fun little dragon romance. A quick read with a unique take on dragons and curses. I definitely didn't expect the story to go where it did, but it offered plenty of spice. An entertaining little monster romance that does exactly what it needs to and maybe (surprisingly) a little more.
July 25, 2024
A la mitad se puso raro pero me gustó el final. Muy bonito y spicy.
June 1, 2024
What a way to kick off pride month! I was surprised by the curse, but it was so funny honestly. Sèarlait is a woman who knows what she wants and will do anything to get it, including seduce the dragon to put food on the table for all her sisters. I loved the part where she does Koi’s hair!
October 3, 2024
I'm... note entirely sure what to think here, I'm gonna be honest. For context I didn't read any of the reviews and went in totally blind minus knowing there were sapphics and dragons. I wish I could give it 2.5 because that's where my rating actually sits, but I digress.
Okay, so --
The Good:
- fun story! It was engaging enough to keep me reading
- fun main characters with clear motivations
- pretty good banter
The Less-Good:
- needed another round or two of edits; a noticeable amount of typos and some name inconsistencies (Carrie vs Kerri, for example)
- use of "channel" in spicy scenes was... a bit much.
- slightly ooc behavior - why is the dragon weirded out by a butchering space?
- side characters could've used better characterization
- A bit heavy-handed on the homophobia
- anachronisms T.T pants instead of trousers, "fat ass" just seems weirdly out of place, etc
The ????
- I mean, I've never read so many iterations of shifter spice before, so... still not sure how I feel about horse x dragon oral, but hey! Something for everyone!
- What happened to Primrose?? D:
- fatphobic phrasing. This is down in the ???? section because I think the author was actually trying to be fat-positive with our MC the dragon, but stating that she was "fatter than any woman [MC] had ever seen" and then later using "fat ass" to address a character (even teasingly) is... not an ideal choice.
Okay, so --
The Good:
- fun story! It was engaging enough to keep me reading
- fun main characters with clear motivations
- pretty good banter
The Less-Good:
- needed another round or two of edits; a noticeable amount of typos and some name inconsistencies (Carrie vs Kerri, for example)
- use of "channel" in spicy scenes was... a bit much.
- slightly ooc behavior - why is the dragon weirded out by a butchering space?
- side characters could've used better characterization
- A bit heavy-handed on the homophobia
- anachronisms T.T pants instead of trousers, "fat ass" just seems weirdly out of place, etc
The ????
- I mean, I've never read so many iterations of shifter spice before, so... still not sure how I feel about horse x dragon oral, but hey! Something for everyone!
- What happened to Primrose?? D:
- fatphobic phrasing. This is down in the ???? section because I think the author was actually trying to be fat-positive with our MC the dragon, but stating that she was "fatter than any woman [MC] had ever seen" and then later using "fat ass" to address a character (even teasingly) is... not an ideal choice.
April 14, 2025
Sweetly Monstrous
Difficult though it is to find lesbian monster romance with a WOC, this one being especially spicy and emotional with lots of sweetness, made me wiggle in bed from happiness. And I loved the fearlessness of writing love and sex between people in different forms. Sentience is more important to bonds of companionship.
I enjoyed the story and its chapters. I do wish we could have met all the darlings of Sear's family. The gay disaster lesbians were so sweet and precious, my heart would be aching in despair then racing with happiness or heat. The HEA was lovely and I'll be making sure to add this to my library permanently soon! Wonderful story, Eel! 🖤👌🏾
Difficult though it is to find lesbian monster romance with a WOC, this one being especially spicy and emotional with lots of sweetness, made me wiggle in bed from happiness. And I loved the fearlessness of writing love and sex between people in different forms. Sentience is more important to bonds of companionship.
I enjoyed the story and its chapters. I do wish we could have met all the darlings of Sear's family. The gay disaster lesbians were so sweet and precious, my heart would be aching in despair then racing with happiness or heat. The HEA was lovely and I'll be making sure to add this to my library permanently soon! Wonderful story, Eel! 🖤👌🏾
March 15, 2025
Unique sapphic romance
During this book, Koi and Searlait slowly grow both as people, and toward a better understanding of each other, falling in love along the way. Heads up that there is non-human coupling (dragon and horse, dragon and dragon); it’s all the main couple, but might not be for everyone.
During this book, Koi and Searlait slowly grow both as people, and toward a better understanding of each other, falling in love along the way. Heads up that there is non-human coupling (dragon and horse, dragon and dragon); it’s all the main couple, but might not be for everyone.
July 8, 2024
I finished it in one sitting. It was an enjoyable read with sweet budding romance and a hint of primal play. There are various combinations of shifter love making, so be warned.
But for all that is holy, give me an epilogue that tells me Primrose the bunny is happy and healthy!!!
But for all that is holy, give me an epilogue that tells me Primrose the bunny is happy and healthy!!!
July 26, 2024
Definitely the 1st for me 😉
I did not expect and was shocked by the storyline of this story. Wow.....Definitely a 5🌟 from me. Captivating with some different kind of 🔥 steamy encounters. I sooooo enjoyed this book.
I did not expect and was shocked by the storyline of this story. Wow.....Definitely a 5🌟 from me. Captivating with some different kind of 🔥 steamy encounters. I sooooo enjoyed this book.
November 19, 2024
DNF, the editing is very poorly done and it's hard to keep reading unfortunately. Halfway through the book I still didn't care about the characters, nor did they even care about each other.
March 6, 2026
Sometimes you need a cute, flirty, steamy book as a palate cleanser during a mildly frustrating work week. This fit the bill perfectly.
The main character, Séarlait, is stuck. She has a decent life, a steady business, and a chaotic group of younger sisters who love her, but she’s never found complete acceptance. Her mother is disapproving of the fact that she loves other women, and with little else to look forward to, she decides to just… try and make a good memory for herself before she resigns herself to life being this way forever. How does she do that? She goes and watches a bunch of dragons caught in the midst of mating season, that’s how.
Meanwhile, the dragon Koivulotta is suffering during mating season. She has no interest in any of the males (just the ladies, thank you~), and the only way to stave off the desire to mate with whoever will have her is to take on her human form. This requires human blood. And oh, how curious - there’s a human woman right there! It would sure be tragic for anything to get in the way of their little arrangement, hm? This follows that, and Koi and Séarlait find themselves stuck together until the mating season is over, and/or Séarlait is… back to normal.
Séarlait’s struggle spoke to me personally, as a sapphic who struggles with her family. There’s a natural conclusion to her character arc, and it’s one that had me clenching my heart with a sad sort of understanding.
I’d recommend this for anyone in search of a brief and entertaining read with a surprisingly liberal dose of character growth alongside their monster smut. It was too steamy for me personally, but that’s a problem for me to deal with. I enjoyed some of the little twists that popped up along the way; I really could not have expected them. But I suppose that's the way dragon magic works: unexpectedly 😉
I’ll likely check out some of the author’s other works, see if maybe they’re a bit more to my taste.
Unrelated but: there was an interesting choice to spell ‘human’ as ‘humen’ throughout the book, but words like ‘woman/women,’ and ‘man/men’ were left as normal. This, along with typos and anachronisms, bothered me an inordinate amount and I cannot explain why. I don’t think it would bother others as much? At least, I hope not.
The main character, Séarlait, is stuck. She has a decent life, a steady business, and a chaotic group of younger sisters who love her, but she’s never found complete acceptance. Her mother is disapproving of the fact that she loves other women, and with little else to look forward to, she decides to just… try and make a good memory for herself before she resigns herself to life being this way forever. How does she do that? She goes and watches a bunch of dragons caught in the midst of mating season, that’s how.
Meanwhile, the dragon Koivulotta is suffering during mating season. She has no interest in any of the males (just the ladies, thank you~), and the only way to stave off the desire to mate with whoever will have her is to take on her human form. This requires human blood. And oh, how curious - there’s a human woman right there! It would sure be tragic for anything to get in the way of their little arrangement, hm? This follows that, and Koi and Séarlait find themselves stuck together until the mating season is over, and/or Séarlait is… back to normal.
Séarlait’s struggle spoke to me personally, as a sapphic who struggles with her family. There’s a natural conclusion to her character arc, and it’s one that had me clenching my heart with a sad sort of understanding.
I’d recommend this for anyone in search of a brief and entertaining read with a surprisingly liberal dose of character growth alongside their monster smut. It was too steamy for me personally, but that’s a problem for me to deal with. I enjoyed some of the little twists that popped up along the way; I really could not have expected them. But I suppose that's the way dragon magic works: unexpectedly 😉
I’ll likely check out some of the author’s other works, see if maybe they’re a bit more to my taste.
Unrelated but: there was an interesting choice to spell ‘human’ as ‘humen’ throughout the book, but words like ‘woman/women,’ and ‘man/men’ were left as normal. This, along with typos and anachronisms, bothered me an inordinate amount and I cannot explain why. I don’t think it would bother others as much? At least, I hope not.
June 24, 2025
Séarlait (pronounced like Charlotte) lives with her mother and four younger sisters. It is her responsibility to provide for them. Her mother is extremely homophobic and guilt trips Séarlait into staying with them even if it makes her unhappy. When it is the season for dragons to mate, she wants to see one but ends up getting too close and captured by Koivulotta (shortened to Koi in the book). Unfortunately a male dragon that wanted to mate with Koi curses Séarlait out of spite and jealousy, so she switches between being a horse and human. Also Séarlait's human blood helps Koi shift into her human form. I liked that Koi is a black woman when she shifts to being a human.
This is definitely not a bad book but I don't think it's one of the greatest things I've ever read. I was happy to see a lesbian dragon but I did not enjoy seeing "females" and "males" get used as nouns. I don't care if is used in regard to dragons and not humans, it still gives me the ick to see that. Also Séarlait's mother being homophobic was exhausting to read when the responsibility of caring for her younger sisters was enough of a conflict. And I'm not sure how I feel about the part where Koi is a dragon and Séarlait is a horse and they have sex while in those forms. Although I definitely enjoyed reading the other times they have sex.
The other thing that really annoyed me was the lack of editing and proofreading. This is an indie book and I believe in supporting indie writers but there were so many mistakes that it often took me out of the story so I often had to keep putting this down. Like at one point there was a character named Carrie, and in a next paragraph it was spelled Keri, and then in another paragraph it was back to Carrie. Despite my complaints this is still a cute sapphic monster fantasy romance, and I'd still recommend it to readers who enjoy reading about lesbians and monsters.
This is definitely not a bad book but I don't think it's one of the greatest things I've ever read. I was happy to see a lesbian dragon but I did not enjoy seeing "females" and "males" get used as nouns. I don't care if is used in regard to dragons and not humans, it still gives me the ick to see that. Also Séarlait's mother being homophobic was exhausting to read when the responsibility of caring for her younger sisters was enough of a conflict. And I'm not sure how I feel about the part where Koi is a dragon and Séarlait is a horse and they have sex while in those forms. Although I definitely enjoyed reading the other times they have sex.
The other thing that really annoyed me was the lack of editing and proofreading. This is an indie book and I believe in supporting indie writers but there were so many mistakes that it often took me out of the story so I often had to keep putting this down. Like at one point there was a character named Carrie, and in a next paragraph it was spelled Keri, and then in another paragraph it was back to Carrie. Despite my complaints this is still a cute sapphic monster fantasy romance, and I'd still recommend it to readers who enjoy reading about lesbians and monsters.
January 24, 2026
I absolutely loved The Dragon Shifter’s Mate: a Lesbian Fantasy Romance. This book was such a delightful read — I devoured it in just a day and a half! The writing was descriptive and vivid without ever feeling overly complicated, making it easy to get lost in the world. I especially enjoyed the worldbuilding; it felt immersive yet accessible and beautifully complemented the story rather than overshadowing it.
But the real heart of this book for me was the characters. I’ve never read a monster romance before, and since I love dragons, this was the perfect first one and now I totally get the appeal! The relationship between the two love interests was absolutely swoon-worthy, and I shipped them so hard by the end. Their dynamic was heartfelt, compelling, and full of emotional depth.
Koi was an absolute standout — gentle, protective, possessive, and so true to her nature as a dragon even as she shifted and interacted in human form. I loved how the author maintained her dragon identity throughout, which made her feel authentic and powerful rather than just “dragon-shaped.”
If you enjoy sapphic fantasy romance with strong character chemistry, memorable worldbuilding, and dragons you can’t help but root for, this is definitely worth your time. I truly enjoyed every moment of it!
But the real heart of this book for me was the characters. I’ve never read a monster romance before, and since I love dragons, this was the perfect first one and now I totally get the appeal! The relationship between the two love interests was absolutely swoon-worthy, and I shipped them so hard by the end. Their dynamic was heartfelt, compelling, and full of emotional depth.
Koi was an absolute standout — gentle, protective, possessive, and so true to her nature as a dragon even as she shifted and interacted in human form. I loved how the author maintained her dragon identity throughout, which made her feel authentic and powerful rather than just “dragon-shaped.”
If you enjoy sapphic fantasy romance with strong character chemistry, memorable worldbuilding, and dragons you can’t help but root for, this is definitely worth your time. I truly enjoyed every moment of it!
October 10, 2025
A spicy sapphic fantasy I didn’t see coming.
This book surprised me in all the best ways. Monster romance isn’t usually my genre, but this one? Worth it. Eel Lovesick gives us a sapphic fantasy that’s equal parts heat, heart, and magic, wrapped up in a story that actually has emotional depth beneath the claws and scales even in a novella. and I wished only that it were longer :)
Séalrait is a struggling peasant girl trying to keep her family afloat when fate decides to throw her into the path of a dragon-shifter mate. It’s every bit as intense as that sounds. a slow burn but hit with spice. The spice? Let’s just say the temperature in the room goes up several degrees.
What gives this story a twist is the curse hanging over the romance. I didn't see a few of the twists coming and I enjoyed that!
This isn’t just another paranormal fling dressed up in scales and smoke. It’s about yearning, about having one impossible dream in a life that’s all duty and exhaustion, and then having that dream show up breathing fire and calling you “mine.” The romance is slow-burn, intense, and unapologetically queer, every look and touch feels earned.
Loved it and would defo recommend this for a fun, quick, and thoroughly enjoyable read!
This book surprised me in all the best ways. Monster romance isn’t usually my genre, but this one? Worth it. Eel Lovesick gives us a sapphic fantasy that’s equal parts heat, heart, and magic, wrapped up in a story that actually has emotional depth beneath the claws and scales even in a novella. and I wished only that it were longer :)
Séalrait is a struggling peasant girl trying to keep her family afloat when fate decides to throw her into the path of a dragon-shifter mate. It’s every bit as intense as that sounds. a slow burn but hit with spice. The spice? Let’s just say the temperature in the room goes up several degrees.
What gives this story a twist is the curse hanging over the romance. I didn't see a few of the twists coming and I enjoyed that!
This isn’t just another paranormal fling dressed up in scales and smoke. It’s about yearning, about having one impossible dream in a life that’s all duty and exhaustion, and then having that dream show up breathing fire and calling you “mine.” The romance is slow-burn, intense, and unapologetically queer, every look and touch feels earned.
Loved it and would defo recommend this for a fun, quick, and thoroughly enjoyable read!
June 30, 2025
Reading just the title, this book seemed to have been geared specifically to appeal to my interests! Surely I'll be easily impressed, I thought.
Well fool me! I'm so so sad I didn't like this one, but it definitely needed a beta reader. Aside from the print errors, the story was way too expository while not really having much for the characters to do. The horse shifter thing also didn't work for me at all. It was on the horse-girl to dragon-girl pipeline in a way that I did not expect (looking at you chapter 12!). The art was cute, but the overall book could have been stronger.
Well fool me! I'm so so sad I didn't like this one, but it definitely needed a beta reader. Aside from the print errors, the story was way too expository while not really having much for the characters to do. The horse shifter thing also didn't work for me at all. It was on the horse-girl to dragon-girl pipeline in a way that I did not expect (looking at you chapter 12!). The art was cute, but the overall book could have been stronger.
December 23, 2025
Let me start off by saying this is not the normal genre that I read. I am glad that I decided to give this book a chance based on the interesting plot line of shifting and love between a woman and a dragon.
I want to give kudos to the author for having such a creative mind when writing this story. Half the stuff in here I would never think of, especially the infamous scene (pony…).
The love Koi has for Searlait is strong and felt throughout the story. If you want an entertaining book that will keep you intrigued, give this one a try - it won’t disappoint!
I want to give kudos to the author for having such a creative mind when writing this story. Half the stuff in here I would never think of, especially the infamous scene (pony…).
The love Koi has for Searlait is strong and felt throughout the story. If you want an entertaining book that will keep you intrigued, give this one a try - it won’t disappoint!
June 26, 2024
I loved this book! A dragon shifter that's lonely and I girl who's never found love.. these two characters were everything. They had their own goals but found love and understanding in this adventure together. There was never a point in this book where I thought a scene or conversation was unnecessary. I would read this book and anything but this author again.
January 27, 2026
Absolutely unhinged. I loved it. The characters are sweet and unique. Can’t lie, the first love scene had me aghast, but that kind of helps you understand the characters feelings on the situation, so it works. I really enjoyed the way the author constructed the dragons’ customs and habits. It was a take I’ve not seen before and really enjoyed. I absolutely will be reading more by this author.
June 1, 2024
OMG> Okay I wasn't expecting that, but what a way to get back into fantasy. The curse is unexpected but honestly kinda funny. I never expected the girl to also be a shifter. At least there's a lot off fluff to balance it out xD
June 7, 2024
2 stars. I love weird books but this one was a bit too weird and I didn’t connect with any of the characters, their romance, or the plot itself. The writing itself wasn’t bad but it wasn’t engaging. I was just bored which is unfortunate because I love the cover.
January 10, 2025
I love weird books but this was too weird. Also Koi said ‘I’m not done with you yet’ way too many times. She was uncomfortably possessive, she got jealous when Searlait was talking to her own little sister…
Lots of spelling mistakes too which I can’t stand
Lots of spelling mistakes too which I can’t stand
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews