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A Mate for Christmas #1
A Mate for the Christmas Dragon
A Christmas-loving dragon + an overworked retail assistant who hates the holidays + five days to win his mate's heart before a curse destroys his life = a Christmas clash with a heart-warming happy ever after. Jasper Heartwell needs to find a mate before Christmas. Jasper is a dragon on a mission. If he doesn’t find his mate by his twenty-fifth birthday, he’ll lose his ability to shift, and be stuck as either a human or a dragon forever. Luckily, his birthday is on Christmas Day. What woman could resist the spark of romance during the most wonderful time of the year? Abigail George hates Christmas. Most wonderful time of the year? Curvy Abigail learned long ago what a lie that is. She hates the fake snow, the cheesy carols, the hordes of shoppers that save their Christmas cheer for everyone except shop workers—and most of all, she hates going home to her empty apartment on Christmas Eve. Jasper knows Abigail’s the one for him the moment he sees her. But can the Christmas dragon win his mate’s heart, when Christmas is the one thing she hates the most? A Mate for the Christmas Dragon is a steaming hot standalone dragon shifter romance. HEA guaranteed!
281 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2017
1596 people are currently reading
963 people want to read
About the author
Zoe Chant
326 books1,504 followersZoe Chant loves writing paranormal romance. Over a cup of tea (or something stronger) she whips up sexy tales of hunky heroes and adventurous heroines to tantalize and satisfy her readers. Sizzling hot romance, no cliffhangers!
While series should ideally be read in order, all of Zoe’s books are standalones and can be read in any order. This includes books within series.
To get a free book for subscribing to her mailing list, please follow this link: https://www.zoechant.com/join-my-mail...
Zoe's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/32545...
While series should ideally be read in order, all of Zoe’s books are standalones and can be read in any order. This includes books within series.
To get a free book for subscribing to her mailing list, please follow this link: https://www.zoechant.com/join-my-mail...
Zoe's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/32545...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 302 reviews
December 7, 2025
Grinch FMC meets Christmas dragon MMC
…and by Christmas dragon, it means he was born on Christmas and is… red. Other than that, he just really, really likes Christmas.
I’m not one to bash on a book, even if it wasn’t for me. This could be a fun read if you’re looking for a pretty standard Hallmark-y Christmas book. It read like a novella because there was almost no character background or world-building, but it had the length of a normal book. It's very much a vibes read and nothing more.
Our FMC, Abigail, hates Christmas. Our MMC, Jasper, loves Christmas, and because his 25th birthday is on Christmas, he has to find his mate by then or risk losing his ability to shift. The book starts a couple of days before Christmas when Jasper sees Abigail for the first time. He then only has a couple of days to woo her and during a time of year that she hates.
I wish we learned more about Jasper's curse. There’s literally no information about why Jasper has this curse or even if it affects all dragons or just him/his family. Actually, I don't think it's ever mentioned if there are any other dragons outside of Jasper's family. Also, I'm not trying to judge Abigail's trauma, but her reason for HATING Christmas and avoiding the entire season seemed... a little weak.
Safety/tropes:
- Christmas/holiday
- Third-act tension, I wouldn’t call it a breakup
- Dragon shifter romance
- No cheating or OWD/OMD
2025 holiday book 1/?
preread 12/4/25
It's now December 4th... How many Christmas/holiday books do we think I can read by Christmas?
…and by Christmas dragon, it means he was born on Christmas and is… red. Other than that, he just really, really likes Christmas.
I’m not one to bash on a book, even if it wasn’t for me. This could be a fun read if you’re looking for a pretty standard Hallmark-y Christmas book. It read like a novella because there was almost no character background or world-building, but it had the length of a normal book. It's very much a vibes read and nothing more.
Our FMC, Abigail, hates Christmas. Our MMC, Jasper, loves Christmas, and because his 25th birthday is on Christmas, he has to find his mate by then or risk losing his ability to shift. The book starts a couple of days before Christmas when Jasper sees Abigail for the first time. He then only has a couple of days to woo her and during a time of year that she hates.
I wish we learned more about Jasper's curse. There’s literally no information about why Jasper has this curse or even if it affects all dragons or just him/his family. Actually, I don't think it's ever mentioned if there are any other dragons outside of Jasper's family. Also, I'm not trying to judge Abigail's trauma, but her reason for HATING Christmas and avoiding the entire season seemed... a little weak.
Safety/tropes:
- Christmas/holiday
- Third-act tension, I wouldn’t call it a breakup
- Dragon shifter romance
- No cheating or OWD/OMD
2025 holiday book 1/?
preread 12/4/25
It's now December 4th... How many Christmas/holiday books do we think I can read by Christmas?
September 8, 2021
Jasper has been traveling the world in search of his mate but has had no luck. With his 25th birthday just a few days away, he'll have to make a choice to either give up his dragon half or his human half. But then he spots his mate while visiting his sister and he sets out to make her love him.
Abigail dislikes Christmas and just wants to get through the holiday season. Her luck seems to be about to give out when she finds herself falling from a roof of the store she works at but Jasper is there in a blink of an eye to catch her as she falls.
Abigail finds herself very much attracted to the man that caught her when she fell but she doesn't think she has any chance with him until he asks her out and wants to spend time with her. She really dislikes Christmas and he loves it but he does everything in his power to make her comfortable on their date. When one date leads to another and they end up spending the night together, he thinks she might fall for him and things are going really well until there's a bit of a misunderstanding.
Watching Jasper try his hardest to be the funny, gentle, romantic man that he hopes she can fall for in a short time was really fun. Jasper's nephew was such a fun secondary character. He was such a rambunctious toddler who just happened to also be a dragon shifter. He was so full of life and his antics just made me laugh.
Watching Abigail go from Scrooge to wanting to have a nice Christmas with him was very satisfying to see. This was such a fun book.
Abigail dislikes Christmas and just wants to get through the holiday season. Her luck seems to be about to give out when she finds herself falling from a roof of the store she works at but Jasper is there in a blink of an eye to catch her as she falls.
Abigail finds herself very much attracted to the man that caught her when she fell but she doesn't think she has any chance with him until he asks her out and wants to spend time with her. She really dislikes Christmas and he loves it but he does everything in his power to make her comfortable on their date. When one date leads to another and they end up spending the night together, he thinks she might fall for him and things are going really well until there's a bit of a misunderstanding.
Watching Jasper try his hardest to be the funny, gentle, romantic man that he hopes she can fall for in a short time was really fun. Jasper's nephew was such a fun secondary character. He was such a rambunctious toddler who just happened to also be a dragon shifter. He was so full of life and his antics just made me laugh.
Watching Abigail go from Scrooge to wanting to have a nice Christmas with him was very satisfying to see. This was such a fun book.
Want to read
December 9, 2024💝FREE on Amazon today (12/14/2018)!💝
December 7, 2017
My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!
***I choose what I read and review based on what intrigues me!! No one tells me what to think, feel, or write about any book! I have bought this book because it is awesome, and I own most of Zoe’s books!
The cover is nice and Christmas-y!
This is a Christmas dragon HEA because Jasper comes home to spend the holidays with his family because he has given up looking for his mate. Christmas is his birthday and when the curse takes effect. This is for adults only due to the steamy content and is about 230 pages long.
I was hooked from the start. I found it humorous that the Christmas dragon and his mate are complete opposites. He loves Christmas, and she hates it and all it stands for. This story didn’t have the action I usually crave in a shifter book, but I was not bored and couldn’t put it down. I loved the holiday magic created by Abigail and Jasper.
I highly recommend to any shifter fan who loves HEAs and especially if you love Zoe Chant’s work! She always writes stories that I truly enjoy! I can’t wait to read the next one!
***I choose what I read and review based on what intrigues me!! No one tells me what to think, feel, or write about any book! I have bought this book because it is awesome, and I own most of Zoe’s books!
The cover is nice and Christmas-y!
This is a Christmas dragon HEA because Jasper comes home to spend the holidays with his family because he has given up looking for his mate. Christmas is his birthday and when the curse takes effect. This is for adults only due to the steamy content and is about 230 pages long.
I was hooked from the start. I found it humorous that the Christmas dragon and his mate are complete opposites. He loves Christmas, and she hates it and all it stands for. This story didn’t have the action I usually crave in a shifter book, but I was not bored and couldn’t put it down. I loved the holiday magic created by Abigail and Jasper.
I highly recommend to any shifter fan who loves HEAs and especially if you love Zoe Chant’s work! She always writes stories that I truly enjoy! I can’t wait to read the next one!
December 9, 2025
DNF at 40%, December 2025
2 Stars for what I read
I wish I could have read more, but I think this was putting me in a slump.
They slept together the first day they met, and Jasper said he loved her (in his head) on day two. I understand they’re mates but my goodness, it was a bit too much too quick.
I skipped to the epilogue to see how it ended, and even that was a bit too much.
Spoilers below for the end! You’ve been warned
In the epilogue which is ONE year after they met, they’re married and she’s pregnant. She knows she’s pregnant instantly by instinct due to the Christmas mate bond, and also knows the cells are a girl despite it being a literal embryo.
This is under 300 pages and I like my slow burn so it’s obvious that this book is WAYY too quick for me. The writing was also not strong enough for me to want to continue.
The Christmas themes were cute though I’ll give it that.
2 Stars for what I read
I wish I could have read more, but I think this was putting me in a slump.
They slept together the first day they met, and Jasper said he loved her (in his head) on day two. I understand they’re mates but my goodness, it was a bit too much too quick.
I skipped to the epilogue to see how it ended, and even that was a bit too much.
Spoilers below for the end! You’ve been warned
In the epilogue which is ONE year after they met, they’re married and she’s pregnant. She knows she’s pregnant instantly by instinct due to the Christmas mate bond, and also knows the cells are a girl despite it being a literal embryo.
This is under 300 pages and I like my slow burn so it’s obvious that this book is WAYY too quick for me. The writing was also not strong enough for me to want to continue.
The Christmas themes were cute though I’ll give it that.
December 10, 2024
Actual rating - 2.5 ⭐️
I am not sure what I read, but…. I kept reading after the first 2 pages and I actually enjoyed some of it 🤔😅 I’ve never read a paranormal romance and while it felt so absurd and we don’t get details, it is so unrealistic, lots of things that don’t match, I was actually able to get past this and just continue through the end. I didn’t take it too serious and had fun with it.
I am not sure what I read, but…. I kept reading after the first 2 pages and I actually enjoyed some of it 🤔😅 I’ve never read a paranormal romance and while it felt so absurd and we don’t get details, it is so unrealistic, lots of things that don’t match, I was actually able to get past this and just continue through the end. I didn’t take it too serious and had fun with it.
January 4, 2018
A Christmas story with dragon love!
Easy reading with Christmas theme. Jasper must find his mate otherwise he would lose half of himself. After a global search he returns to his hometown just before Christmas and in time to catch Abigail who falls down from a roof... But they just fall in love....
Easy reading with Christmas theme. Jasper must find his mate otherwise he would lose half of himself. After a global search he returns to his hometown just before Christmas and in time to catch Abigail who falls down from a roof... But they just fall in love....
January 8, 2019
If you can get past the sexism, this is a decent beach or airplane read. The part I found to be Hallmark-worthy (spoiler...) is how the dragon gets excited over gift giving and gift receiving.
Read
December 15, 2020DNF'd at 21%. It was cute, but with the very quick romance I was already getting bored. Didn't feel the upcoming conflict was something I cared enough about. I still like the author though.
December 23, 2020
Didn’t read like the first of a series. Little to no explanation of the dragon mythology. But it was a cute holiday read
December 10, 2021
This is a really solid Zoe Chant book. It's pure fluff of course, but all Zoe Chant books are. I did enjoy that the female lead is a grump who hates Christmas, and I liked that she was a lonely person without a family to spend the holidays with. I'm estranged from my family, so this resonated with me a lot.
Jasper was a really sweet male lead. He is indistinguishable from every other Zoe Chant male lead though. I'm not gonna mark the book down for this, but since this is my 13th Chant book in 6 months, I'm starting to get sort of bored of how all the main characters are pretty much exactly alike. Chant's characters are very bland and forgettable. I'm not taking any stars off, because I do sort of think books like this don't really NEED complex three-dimensional characters. I think it's only because I've read so many in such a short time that I'm starting to get bored.
Where Zoe Chant really excels is in whimsical humor and ridiculous situations and we certainly got a lot of that in this book.
I did find it weird that Abigail was okay with going on dates multiple days in a row with a guy she just met. Even at my most desperate for male attention points in my life I think I would have been like "Bro....you good? Why TF you so clingy?" It always sot of freaks me out when men are clingy and I know I'm not the only woman who feels that way. Inappropriate clinginess too early on (ahem as in constantly bombarding a woman you JUST MET with attention and requests for dates 3/4 days in a row) is alarming. It signals emotional immaturity or possibly even emotional volatility and instability. As the readers, we know why Jasper is so desperate to spend so much time with Abigail right away. But Abigail doesn't know anything about mates or shifters, so why wasn't she freaked out by Jasper coming on so strong so fast? He even adds up all the time they have to spend together before Christmas IN FRONT OF HER and she doesn't think this is weird?
Also, why does Abigail only have one work uniform? You're telling me she washes and then let's it HANG DRY every single night? Wouldn't she be going to work with it damp a lot of days? Wouldn't it just be raggedy as hell from being worn 5-6 days a week and washed every night? Look...that shit stressed me out.
I also just didn't care for them going on dates after she just worked a ten hour retail shift. That doesn't sound romantic at all. It's sounds like an exhausting chore. She even fell asleep from her pure exhaustion during one of the dates. I was honestly a little annoyed at Jasper for planning such tiring dates when she's getting out of work after a long day on her feet. It actually seems pretty inconsiderate to pick someone up at ten at night after they've been working all day and take them ice skating or on a dog-sled picnic. I would be sobbing like "DUUUDDE! I'm fucking tired! Can we go sit on your couch and drink wine?"
All of that being said, those are my petty minor gripes with the book. It was still a very cute and heart-warming read. I liked how Abigail changed over the curse of the book and how she ended up with a whole new family that loves her and automatically accepted her. It was a very sweet Christmas love story <3
Jasper was a really sweet male lead. He is indistinguishable from every other Zoe Chant male lead though. I'm not gonna mark the book down for this, but since this is my 13th Chant book in 6 months, I'm starting to get sort of bored of how all the main characters are pretty much exactly alike. Chant's characters are very bland and forgettable. I'm not taking any stars off, because I do sort of think books like this don't really NEED complex three-dimensional characters. I think it's only because I've read so many in such a short time that I'm starting to get bored.
Where Zoe Chant really excels is in whimsical humor and ridiculous situations and we certainly got a lot of that in this book.
I did find it weird that Abigail was okay with going on dates multiple days in a row with a guy she just met. Even at my most desperate for male attention points in my life I think I would have been like "Bro....you good? Why TF you so clingy?" It always sot of freaks me out when men are clingy and I know I'm not the only woman who feels that way. Inappropriate clinginess too early on (ahem as in constantly bombarding a woman you JUST MET with attention and requests for dates 3/4 days in a row) is alarming. It signals emotional immaturity or possibly even emotional volatility and instability. As the readers, we know why Jasper is so desperate to spend so much time with Abigail right away. But Abigail doesn't know anything about mates or shifters, so why wasn't she freaked out by Jasper coming on so strong so fast? He even adds up all the time they have to spend together before Christmas IN FRONT OF HER and she doesn't think this is weird?
Also, why does Abigail only have one work uniform? You're telling me she washes and then let's it HANG DRY every single night? Wouldn't she be going to work with it damp a lot of days? Wouldn't it just be raggedy as hell from being worn 5-6 days a week and washed every night? Look...that shit stressed me out.
I also just didn't care for them going on dates after she just worked a ten hour retail shift. That doesn't sound romantic at all. It's sounds like an exhausting chore. She even fell asleep from her pure exhaustion during one of the dates. I was honestly a little annoyed at Jasper for planning such tiring dates when she's getting out of work after a long day on her feet. It actually seems pretty inconsiderate to pick someone up at ten at night after they've been working all day and take them ice skating or on a dog-sled picnic. I would be sobbing like "DUUUDDE! I'm fucking tired! Can we go sit on your couch and drink wine?"
All of that being said, those are my petty minor gripes with the book. It was still a very cute and heart-warming read. I liked how Abigail changed over the curse of the book and how she ended up with a whole new family that loves her and automatically accepted her. It was a very sweet Christmas love story <3
December 28, 2024
✰✰✰✰/5
🌶🌶.5/5
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ Tropes ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
☁︎Fated Mates☁︎
☁︎Grumpy x Sunshine (she's the grump)☁︎
☁︎Dragon x Human☁︎
☁︎Opposites Attract☁︎
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Thoughts ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
☁︎ I am not one for third person books but this one was enjoyable. I did enjoy this book though. I am always down for a spicy dragon romance! Plus it was a holiday book and I love festive! It was very cute and enjoyable. Perfect for anyone who needs a spicy fantasy holiday romance with some hot chocolate!
˖⁺‧₊˚☁️˚₊‧⁺˖Recommended for ppl who (are)…˖⁺‧₊˚☁️˚₊‧⁺˖
☁︎Love dragon romance☁︎
☁︎Holiday romance enthusiasts☁︎
☁︎Spicy girlies who love gold☁︎
✩₊˚.⋆☾ Quote(s) ☾⋆⁺₊✧
☁︎❝It’s all going to work out. After all, I’m a Christmas dragon. And who doesn’t like Christmas?❞☁︎
☁︎❝Hey, the universe literally threw me into your arms… who am I to argue with that?❞☁︎
🌶🌶.5/5
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ Tropes ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
☁︎Fated Mates☁︎
☁︎Grumpy x Sunshine (she's the grump)☁︎
☁︎Dragon x Human☁︎
☁︎Opposites Attract☁︎
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Thoughts ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
☁︎ I am not one for third person books but this one was enjoyable. I did enjoy this book though. I am always down for a spicy dragon romance! Plus it was a holiday book and I love festive! It was very cute and enjoyable. Perfect for anyone who needs a spicy fantasy holiday romance with some hot chocolate!
˖⁺‧₊˚☁️˚₊‧⁺˖Recommended for ppl who (are)…˖⁺‧₊˚☁️˚₊‧⁺˖
☁︎Love dragon romance☁︎
☁︎Holiday romance enthusiasts☁︎
☁︎Spicy girlies who love gold☁︎
✩₊˚.⋆☾ Quote(s) ☾⋆⁺₊✧
☁︎❝It’s all going to work out. After all, I’m a Christmas dragon. And who doesn’t like Christmas?❞☁︎
☁︎❝Hey, the universe literally threw me into your arms… who am I to argue with that?❞☁︎
March 26, 2022
Such a fun story to read and you gotta love these dragon shifters!! With 5 days before his 25th birthday, Jasper needs to find his mate, otherwise he will lose either his dragon or his human. When he meets Abigail, he instantly knows she's the one but how to convince her?!! He figures Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year to fall in love and it should be easy enough to woo her in the 5 days left to him but he soon finds out she hates everything about Christmas!!
I loved all the ways he tries to woo her without Christmas being involved:) Abigail doesn't trust easily and it boggles her mind that this gorgeous man even wants to spend time with her! She's in for quite a few surprises, least of all finding out he's a dragon shifter!!
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely!!
I loved all the ways he tries to woo her without Christmas being involved:) Abigail doesn't trust easily and it boggles her mind that this gorgeous man even wants to spend time with her! She's in for quite a few surprises, least of all finding out he's a dragon shifter!!
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely!!
did-not-finish
December 15, 2024DNF at 9%.
I don't have a lot of patience for world building that equates singleness with the worst thing that can happen to a person. There's a line that basically says life has no meaning if he's "alone". And he's with family while he's thinking it. Blech. He's ready to make a choice to allow his human side to die off because the world building decrees if he's still single on his 25th birthday, he can't be a dragon shifter. He has to choose to be all human or all dragon. 🙄
I knew this book would be tropey but this is too much.
I don't have a lot of patience for world building that equates singleness with the worst thing that can happen to a person. There's a line that basically says life has no meaning if he's "alone". And he's with family while he's thinking it. Blech. He's ready to make a choice to allow his human side to die off because the world building decrees if he's still single on his 25th birthday, he can't be a dragon shifter. He has to choose to be all human or all dragon. 🙄
I knew this book would be tropey but this is too much.
December 5, 2021
This was a cute, quick read that I really enjoyed! It is a perfect book to read during the Christmas season. Grab a cup of egg nog, bundle up under a cozy blanket, and tuck in for a sweet story. The pending deadline, of course, puts that 'stress' in the story we all feel as the 25th steadily gets closer. But the way it is written makes it feel like each date stretches way longer than just a few hours together each day. And they take full advantage of only have a short amount of time. This romance covers the cute, thoughtful date nights out to the saucy, hot moments at night! Check off all of the romance boxes for me!
I really like how this was written too. Some other shifter romances I've read they've focused so much of the stories on a problem the shifter has or on the shifter completely. With this one, and others written by Zoe Chant I am finding, the inclusion of both points of view is always there. And it is so nice! Call me nosey, but I love being able to see what is happening in both minds during a book especially when a relationship is starting out. It is great to see how differently each one is taking some type of news or interaction.
I think you guys would really like this one! I would totally recommend it to others!
I really like how this was written too. Some other shifter romances I've read they've focused so much of the stories on a problem the shifter has or on the shifter completely. With this one, and others written by Zoe Chant I am finding, the inclusion of both points of view is always there. And it is so nice! Call me nosey, but I love being able to see what is happening in both minds during a book especially when a relationship is starting out. It is great to see how differently each one is taking some type of news or interaction.
I think you guys would really like this one! I would totally recommend it to others!
December 7, 2017
I really enjoyed this story. I loved Jasper but had a difficult time warming to Abigail. Once I knew her story her attitude made sense, but by that time, I was getting irritated with her. No question, it is a good Christmas story.
December 2, 2020
(3.5 stars)
December 18, 2020
this was a very sweet Christmas story. It was the first book I've read by this author but it won't be the last.
December 15, 2025
Cozy. Christmasy. Romantic. DRAGONS! 😍
This was such a warm a fun Christmas story. I liked that the female mc was the grumpy one and the dragon male mc was the sunshine. It was pretty cute.
This was such a warm a fun Christmas story. I liked that the female mc was the grumpy one and the dragon male mc was the sunshine. It was pretty cute.
December 29, 2021
The beginning setup for the insta-love fated dragon bond and the excessive hate for Christmas was a bit boring, but I was invested in the relationship by the time the dramatic falling out occurred and found the ending to be quite satisfying.
April 29, 2023
DNFed at page 95 when the sap oozed out so hard I nearly suffocated...
Seriously, I HATE the trope of X character has to accomplish some "thing" by Y date or they lose all their power/magic/right to live somewhere/whatever. It didn't work for the first Xanth book and it doesn't work here because you KNOW the dire consequences are not going to happen, certainly not in a cheesy romance novel. Consequently, it's hard to feel really engaged with the plot and any sense of urgency the author is trying to impart.
Honestly, I'd have far rather the book focused on the two characters and why Abigail hates Christmas so much and how Jasper can pull her out of that. I also had the sinking feeling that the author was headed down the Gremlins road with Abby's dislike of the holiday and that was more melodrama than I wanted to witness.
Seriously, I HATE the trope of X character has to accomplish some "thing" by Y date or they lose all their power/magic/right to live somewhere/whatever. It didn't work for the first Xanth book and it doesn't work here because you KNOW the dire consequences are not going to happen, certainly not in a cheesy romance novel. Consequently, it's hard to feel really engaged with the plot and any sense of urgency the author is trying to impart.
Honestly, I'd have far rather the book focused on the two characters and why Abigail hates Christmas so much and how Jasper can pull her out of that. I also had the sinking feeling that the author was headed down the Gremlins road with Abby's dislike of the holiday and that was more melodrama than I wanted to witness.
December 12, 2022
I loved this book. Shifter romances are my favorite! A great story that was hard to put down.
December 23, 2018
4.5-5 stars
This was a great Christmas romance. I liked Abigail (even when I was confused about her issues with Christmas) and Jasper was great.
Abigail is a store clerk that despises Christmas. Abigail used to live in the city but loved the mountains so she decided to move to a small town in the mountains. She didn't realize until winter that the town is huge on Christmas, forcing Abigail to struggle through the holidays.
Jasper is a dragon that was born on Christmas day. Jasper's family is cursed and if they don't find their mate by their 25th birthday, they lose their shifting ability, having to choose between being human or dragon for the rest of their lives. Jasper's been travelling the world for 5 years trying to find his mate as his 25th birthday is this Christmas.
With only 5 days until his 25th birthday, Jasper figures he wont find his mate and goes home to at least be able to spend this time with his family. He's talking to his sister when he notices a woman across the street and realizes that she's his mate. Jasper goes over to meet her, just in time to save her from a bad fall. There's a very strong attraction between Abigail and Jasper and she's a bit freaked out by it, trying to push him away rather than risk letting someone in. Jasper is persistent and comes back, managing to get Abigail to give him a chance.
Even with only having 5 days to win her, Jasper doesn't tell Abigail about what he is or what she is to him. He does quickly realize she has an issue with Christmas and tries to come up with dates for them that avoid the Christmas theme. This helps because it makes Abigail realize how much of an effort he's making. Abigail does have some self image issues that makes her think she's not good enough and that things will never work out with Jasper. Thankfully, her attraction does keep her from pushing him away...mostly. Obviously with Abigail's issues, drama does come up and Jasper doesn't necessarily handle the situation the best (for understandable reasons). Thankfully, Abigail pushes herself past her issues and it brings her and Jasper back together, so they are able to bond as mates and end the story with a HEA.
I greatly enjoyed this story. Abigail was a really good heroine, although I did wonder (get a bit annoyed about) the issues she was dealing with (self image/dislike of Christmas) until they were revealed. But once she got past it, she did pretty well and I was happy with her. Jasper was a really good guy and I liked his efforts to win Abigail. The story wasn't perfect but it was a really enjoyable and engaging Christmas romance. It left me with a wonderfully warm feeling in my heart so I would recommend it. :)
This was a great Christmas romance. I liked Abigail (even when I was confused about her issues with Christmas) and Jasper was great.
Abigail is a store clerk that despises Christmas. Abigail used to live in the city but loved the mountains so she decided to move to a small town in the mountains. She didn't realize until winter that the town is huge on Christmas, forcing Abigail to struggle through the holidays.
Jasper is a dragon that was born on Christmas day. Jasper's family is cursed and if they don't find their mate by their 25th birthday, they lose their shifting ability, having to choose between being human or dragon for the rest of their lives. Jasper's been travelling the world for 5 years trying to find his mate as his 25th birthday is this Christmas.
With only 5 days until his 25th birthday, Jasper figures he wont find his mate and goes home to at least be able to spend this time with his family. He's talking to his sister when he notices a woman across the street and realizes that she's his mate. Jasper goes over to meet her, just in time to save her from a bad fall. There's a very strong attraction between Abigail and Jasper and she's a bit freaked out by it, trying to push him away rather than risk letting someone in. Jasper is persistent and comes back, managing to get Abigail to give him a chance.
Even with only having 5 days to win her, Jasper doesn't tell Abigail about what he is or what she is to him. He does quickly realize she has an issue with Christmas and tries to come up with dates for them that avoid the Christmas theme. This helps because it makes Abigail realize how much of an effort he's making. Abigail does have some self image issues that makes her think she's not good enough and that things will never work out with Jasper. Thankfully, her attraction does keep her from pushing him away...mostly. Obviously with Abigail's issues, drama does come up and Jasper doesn't necessarily handle the situation the best (for understandable reasons). Thankfully, Abigail pushes herself past her issues and it brings her and Jasper back together, so they are able to bond as mates and end the story with a HEA.
I greatly enjoyed this story. Abigail was a really good heroine, although I did wonder (get a bit annoyed about) the issues she was dealing with (self image/dislike of Christmas) until they were revealed. But once she got past it, she did pretty well and I was happy with her. Jasper was a really good guy and I liked his efforts to win Abigail. The story wasn't perfect but it was a really enjoyable and engaging Christmas romance. It left me with a wonderfully warm feeling in my heart so I would recommend it. :)
November 30, 2020
Fun paranormal Christmas
My Rating System
5 stars--WOW
4 stars--would read again
3 stars--was good, won't read again
2 stars--read it, but didn't enjoy it
1 star--didn't finish, it was so awful
Do I need to read books before this one: no
Cliffhanger: no
Summary
Jasper comes home for Christmas, alone. Opal, his sister, is worried because he's not mated and his 25th birthday is in five days, on Christmas. He'll have to choose to exist either as a human or a dragon, not both. They sit in the town square, he looks at the shops, sees a woman climbing a ladder. Zing. It's her. Then he sees her face, and she's beautiful. “This is it, Opal, I know it. It’s all going to work out. After all, I’m a Christmas dragon. And who doesn’t like Christmas?”
Abigail hates Christmas. Her front is getting soaked by the snow as she "rescues" a kitten from the store's rooftop display because a child had cried about it. Mr Bell doesn't keep the ladder steady, and she falls. A gorgeous man catches her as if she weighs nothing. She offers the stuffed kitten to the child, who doesn't want it now. Mr Bell yells at her for almost flattening this gentleman and then standing there like stunned fish. He tells Abigail to get back to work, then stomps inside. “Is he meant to be Santa, or the Grinch?” She'd forgotten her rescuer was still there. Jasper and Abigail introduce themselves. He asks about the toy, she says it's going to the trash with the rest of this Christmas rubbish. “Aw, where’s your Christmas spirit?” he said, laughing. Abigail raised her eyebrows at him. “I think Mr. Bell sold it earlier today. Fifty percent off. Which is a great deal, because I’ve never gotten much use out of it.” Jasper is stunned, Abigail berates herself. Mr Bell comes out, tells Abigail she's putting on a show with her wet elf shirt. She's embarrassed, starts to go inside. Jasper asks when her shift is done. He surprises her again by showing up at the end of her shift.
Evaluation
The problem is immediate, giving the story urgency. Jasper plans dates around her work schedule, having to keep away from anything to do with Christmas because she hates it. He has to be inventive, figuring out ways to get her to fall in love with him in five days without any help from Christmas magic. Of course there's a great climax followed by a HEA, and Christmas Day is filled with family, love, and happiness (but no urgency, and the chapter feels drawn out). Plus we get an epilog about the next Christmas. This isn't a true 4 star book, though I would read it again, so it's not a 3, either.
Recommendation
Adults who like paranormal romances.
Possible Triggers (spoilers)
Sex: multiple scenes
Language: 3 F words, 56 Lord's name in vain, 12 S words
Violence: none
My Rating System
5 stars--WOW
4 stars--would read again
3 stars--was good, won't read again
2 stars--read it, but didn't enjoy it
1 star--didn't finish, it was so awful
Do I need to read books before this one: no
Cliffhanger: no
Summary
Jasper comes home for Christmas, alone. Opal, his sister, is worried because he's not mated and his 25th birthday is in five days, on Christmas. He'll have to choose to exist either as a human or a dragon, not both. They sit in the town square, he looks at the shops, sees a woman climbing a ladder. Zing. It's her. Then he sees her face, and she's beautiful. “This is it, Opal, I know it. It’s all going to work out. After all, I’m a Christmas dragon. And who doesn’t like Christmas?”
Abigail hates Christmas. Her front is getting soaked by the snow as she "rescues" a kitten from the store's rooftop display because a child had cried about it. Mr Bell doesn't keep the ladder steady, and she falls. A gorgeous man catches her as if she weighs nothing. She offers the stuffed kitten to the child, who doesn't want it now. Mr Bell yells at her for almost flattening this gentleman and then standing there like stunned fish. He tells Abigail to get back to work, then stomps inside. “Is he meant to be Santa, or the Grinch?” She'd forgotten her rescuer was still there. Jasper and Abigail introduce themselves. He asks about the toy, she says it's going to the trash with the rest of this Christmas rubbish. “Aw, where’s your Christmas spirit?” he said, laughing. Abigail raised her eyebrows at him. “I think Mr. Bell sold it earlier today. Fifty percent off. Which is a great deal, because I’ve never gotten much use out of it.” Jasper is stunned, Abigail berates herself. Mr Bell comes out, tells Abigail she's putting on a show with her wet elf shirt. She's embarrassed, starts to go inside. Jasper asks when her shift is done. He surprises her again by showing up at the end of her shift.
Evaluation
The problem is immediate, giving the story urgency. Jasper plans dates around her work schedule, having to keep away from anything to do with Christmas because she hates it. He has to be inventive, figuring out ways to get her to fall in love with him in five days without any help from Christmas magic. Of course there's a great climax followed by a HEA, and Christmas Day is filled with family, love, and happiness (but no urgency, and the chapter feels drawn out). Plus we get an epilog about the next Christmas. This isn't a true 4 star book, though I would read it again, so it's not a 3, either.
Recommendation
Adults who like paranormal romances.
Possible Triggers (spoilers)
Sex: multiple scenes
Language: 3 F words, 56 Lord's name in vain, 12 S words
Violence: none
December 8, 2022
A very sweet fated mates/shifter story. It had its tropes, but I was actually impressed with its emotional maturity in most places. Jasper isn't the typical snarling, aggressive, paranormal alpha. He's gentle and generous. He's always considerate: How can he be helpful, how can he make today special, how can he make the people he cares about feel cherished... He is the perfect personification of Christmas. And Abigail was the perfect flipside to that coin: Her dealing with seasonal depression hit me right in the feels! There is a deep person there who is clearly still working through some trauma. She's her own harshest critic, and she self-sabotages. But she knows her brain's emotional deceptions, and she is trying to limit her exposure to triggers, master her spirals, and trust other people not to abandon her over mistakes. The way that Jasper and Abigail inspire each other to reach out with kindness, creativity, and security, is truly heart-warming.
The book does have its flaws, though. A lot of typos. And it IS a short story, there is no fleshing out of WHERE this takes place, or WHAT Jasper does for a living, or WHO Abigail wants to be besides Mrs. Jasper. They are shown to be strong, sensitive people, buuuuut a lot of their romance does revolve around mutual sexual attraction XD. And the magical bondage gets introduced with dubious consent. PLUS, for a book with magical bondage, the sex scenes were kind of vanilla, and repetitive; the final 40 pages were putting me to sleep.
But typos and simplicity aside, this at its core was a story about how emotions can be overwhelming, especially during the holidays, and it's important to treat people with tenderness, even yourself. I think that's a positive message for any reader, but especially for the paranormal romance fan who, too often, sees surly and catty leads. No matter your gender, or your baggage, it is ok to be vulnerable and to expect kindness.
The book does have its flaws, though. A lot of typos. And it IS a short story, there is no fleshing out of WHERE this takes place, or WHAT Jasper does for a living, or WHO Abigail wants to be besides Mrs. Jasper. They are shown to be strong, sensitive people, buuuuut a lot of their romance does revolve around mutual sexual attraction XD. And the magical bondage gets introduced with dubious consent. PLUS, for a book with magical bondage, the sex scenes were kind of vanilla, and repetitive; the final 40 pages were putting me to sleep.
But typos and simplicity aside, this at its core was a story about how emotions can be overwhelming, especially during the holidays, and it's important to treat people with tenderness, even yourself. I think that's a positive message for any reader, but especially for the paranormal romance fan who, too often, sees surly and catty leads. No matter your gender, or your baggage, it is ok to be vulnerable and to expect kindness.
December 1, 2021
JINGLE BELL A THON NOV 29-DEC 12
Prompt: A red cover, A Christmas/holiday themed book
PLOT: It’s the most wonderful time of the year for Jasper at least it normally would be, and why wouldn’t it be? He’s spending time with his sister and her family, his birthday, Christmas Day, is only days away, what could be better for a Christmas dragon? Well nothing if it only weren’t this particular year. Jasper is going to turn twenty-five years old which means if by midnight on his birthday he has not found his mate he’ll have to choose which he live as forever: man or dragon?
He thought all was lost until he meets Abigail who, in her own words and quite freely admits, “hates Christmas”. So much for taking advantage of the most wonderful time of the year for encouraging a whirlwind romance between an overworked retail assistant and a hopeless romantic dragon on a time crunch.
REVIEW: I’m gonna be completely honest, I really enjoyed this book. As I’ve read a number of paranormal romances, the “fated mates” trope is one that I’ve struggled with sometimes. However, this author didn’t take the trope too seriously and wrote the relationship between Abigail and Jasper in such a healthy and mature way that I did really find myself enjoying this story. Once I started the book, I found the author’s writing style was really strong, entertaining, and felt she was very aware of the genre which I always appreciate.
If there was one criticism I would give this story is just a little more background as to the conflict within the story and why it is specifically affecting certain characters. It’s a really small thing for a book I literally read in less than a day and a half.
Prompt: A red cover, A Christmas/holiday themed book
PLOT: It’s the most wonderful time of the year for Jasper at least it normally would be, and why wouldn’t it be? He’s spending time with his sister and her family, his birthday, Christmas Day, is only days away, what could be better for a Christmas dragon? Well nothing if it only weren’t this particular year. Jasper is going to turn twenty-five years old which means if by midnight on his birthday he has not found his mate he’ll have to choose which he live as forever: man or dragon?
He thought all was lost until he meets Abigail who, in her own words and quite freely admits, “hates Christmas”. So much for taking advantage of the most wonderful time of the year for encouraging a whirlwind romance between an overworked retail assistant and a hopeless romantic dragon on a time crunch.
REVIEW: I’m gonna be completely honest, I really enjoyed this book. As I’ve read a number of paranormal romances, the “fated mates” trope is one that I’ve struggled with sometimes. However, this author didn’t take the trope too seriously and wrote the relationship between Abigail and Jasper in such a healthy and mature way that I did really find myself enjoying this story. Once I started the book, I found the author’s writing style was really strong, entertaining, and felt she was very aware of the genre which I always appreciate.
If there was one criticism I would give this story is just a little more background as to the conflict within the story and why it is specifically affecting certain characters. It’s a really small thing for a book I literally read in less than a day and a half.
February 25, 2020
Can a person change in five days?
This was the story of Christmas Dragon shifter, Jasper, who has just about given up on finding his true mate before his 25th birthday. His family has been cursed & must find their one true mate before their 25th birthday or lose either their dragon half or their human half. With only 5 days left, he returns to his hometown to spend Christmas with his family & choose which half of his self he will give up. Shortly after his arrival in town, he sees a store clerk, Abigail on a ladder, and immediately knows she is his one true mate. She is all human & Jasper realizes he only has a few days to win her heart. He finds out that although she works in a shop that sells Christmas gifts, she hates Christmas & everything to do with it. She is the exact opposite of Jasper, who loves everything Christmas. I gave this book a 4 rating because it kept going on about how much Abigail hated Christmas, it didn't tell why until at least 3/4's of the way in. Once it did tell why, I understood but prior to that had started not liking her very much until the reason was finally revealed. Jaspar, happy but that he was, was doing everything he could to win her over but didn't know why she felt the way she did. My opinion of Abigail changed as the story continued & I started liking her after all. A lot happens in the last 1/4 of the book & I don't want to give anything away. It was an enjoyable read & i will definitely continue to read more of the author's works.
This was the story of Christmas Dragon shifter, Jasper, who has just about given up on finding his true mate before his 25th birthday. His family has been cursed & must find their one true mate before their 25th birthday or lose either their dragon half or their human half. With only 5 days left, he returns to his hometown to spend Christmas with his family & choose which half of his self he will give up. Shortly after his arrival in town, he sees a store clerk, Abigail on a ladder, and immediately knows she is his one true mate. She is all human & Jasper realizes he only has a few days to win her heart. He finds out that although she works in a shop that sells Christmas gifts, she hates Christmas & everything to do with it. She is the exact opposite of Jasper, who loves everything Christmas. I gave this book a 4 rating because it kept going on about how much Abigail hated Christmas, it didn't tell why until at least 3/4's of the way in. Once it did tell why, I understood but prior to that had started not liking her very much until the reason was finally revealed. Jaspar, happy but that he was, was doing everything he could to win her over but didn't know why she felt the way she did. My opinion of Abigail changed as the story continued & I started liking her after all. A lot happens in the last 1/4 of the book & I don't want to give anything away. It was an enjoyable read & i will definitely continue to read more of the author's works.
December 1, 2017
Keep them coming!
Jasper is a dragon that was born on Christmas. He is also a dragon that is part of a curse. If he doesn't mate by his twenty fifth birthday then he will have to choose which part of himself to loose. He will either live all human or all dragon with no part of the other side remaining. And guess what? After years of searching without finding his mate, he decides to go home for Christmas with his sister and her family. He only has five days left anyway, so there is no hope.
Abigail is the like the scrooge of Christmas. Something happened in her past and she absolutely hates everything about Christmas. The lights, the tree, the music, the presents, everything is so fake according to her.
When Jasper first sees her on a ladder in an elf costume he is smitten. He knows she's the one but only has five days to convince her. A miraculous save from a fall off the ladder and introductions lead to more. But will it be enough. He loves Christmas and she hates it. Can there be a coming together or a change of heart? (Loved Cole, a precocious four year old dragon shifter)
Loved this story. It reminds me of last year's book, "The Mountain Dragon's Curvy Mate" written by Zoe. They two families have different last names but the curse is on the clan. Wondering if they are somehow connected but they are both stand alone books. I loved this story line when I read the first and I am glad more was written is this world! Keep them coming!
Jasper is a dragon that was born on Christmas. He is also a dragon that is part of a curse. If he doesn't mate by his twenty fifth birthday then he will have to choose which part of himself to loose. He will either live all human or all dragon with no part of the other side remaining. And guess what? After years of searching without finding his mate, he decides to go home for Christmas with his sister and her family. He only has five days left anyway, so there is no hope.
Abigail is the like the scrooge of Christmas. Something happened in her past and she absolutely hates everything about Christmas. The lights, the tree, the music, the presents, everything is so fake according to her.
When Jasper first sees her on a ladder in an elf costume he is smitten. He knows she's the one but only has five days to convince her. A miraculous save from a fall off the ladder and introductions lead to more. But will it be enough. He loves Christmas and she hates it. Can there be a coming together or a change of heart? (Loved Cole, a precocious four year old dragon shifter)
Loved this story. It reminds me of last year's book, "The Mountain Dragon's Curvy Mate" written by Zoe. They two families have different last names but the curse is on the clan. Wondering if they are somehow connected but they are both stand alone books. I loved this story line when I read the first and I am glad more was written is this world! Keep them coming!
July 17, 2020
A sweet Christmas story
I really liked this one. Abigail and Jasper were so sweet together. I really enjoyed the direction Zoe went with this world. Jasper coming close to losing his dragon was a little darker than usual for the Zoe Chant storylines (most of them anyways), which was something that I liked. I really enjoyed the way the magic worked in this also. It was nice to have a story where the dragon's hoard meant more and had greater purpose and function than the other Zoe worlds.
The not so great. There are quite a few typos. Mostly it was easy to ignore them. There were only a couple of times where the typo was bad enough to pull me out of the story and make me have to think about what was actually supposed to be written. A good editor (maybe a new one with fresh eyes) going through would clear it up pretty easily. That many typos is not usual for a Zoe Chant book and there were not so many that I had to stop reading. Another not great is that I feel like there's a good chunk of backstory missing. Maybe it will be addressed in future books because I would love to know what happened to Jasper and Opal's parents as they weren't even mentioned in this one. I also want to know why the curse exists as it seems like no other dragons suffer the same fate as this family. Fingers crossed that the future books talk about it some.
Overall a good read and I would recommend it. I definitely enjoyed it enough to want to dive in to the next in the series.
I really liked this one. Abigail and Jasper were so sweet together. I really enjoyed the direction Zoe went with this world. Jasper coming close to losing his dragon was a little darker than usual for the Zoe Chant storylines (most of them anyways), which was something that I liked. I really enjoyed the way the magic worked in this also. It was nice to have a story where the dragon's hoard meant more and had greater purpose and function than the other Zoe worlds.
The not so great. There are quite a few typos. Mostly it was easy to ignore them. There were only a couple of times where the typo was bad enough to pull me out of the story and make me have to think about what was actually supposed to be written. A good editor (maybe a new one with fresh eyes) going through would clear it up pretty easily. That many typos is not usual for a Zoe Chant book and there were not so many that I had to stop reading. Another not great is that I feel like there's a good chunk of backstory missing. Maybe it will be addressed in future books because I would love to know what happened to Jasper and Opal's parents as they weren't even mentioned in this one. I also want to know why the curse exists as it seems like no other dragons suffer the same fate as this family. Fingers crossed that the future books talk about it some.
Overall a good read and I would recommend it. I definitely enjoyed it enough to want to dive in to the next in the series.
November 29, 2020
Jasper Heartwell has only five days to find his mate. If he doesn’t find her by his 25th birthday he will lose his ability to shift and be stuck as either a human or a dragon forever. He has until Christmas to convince his human mate that she has his heart.
This was a fun fated mates romance. Jasper has five days to convince his Christmas hating mate to fall in love with his Christmas loving self. I quite enjoyed this romance even though it did have some issues. This is a fated mate romance so they do fall in love almost instantly. I liked how each day they went on a unique date and got to know each other though.
Abigail’s reason for hating Christmas is reasonable but her justification for working in a Christmas gift shop made no sense to me. I still enjoyed it but just found it odd. Jasper and Abigail were a cute couple and I enjoyed their fast paced relationship.
Overall, this was a good holiday romance featuring a grinch and Christmas obsessed dragon. The characters were good and the story was interesting but nothing stood out as amazing. While I did enjoy this book, I feel it will be one that I don’t remember in the future. Still don’t regret reading it though.
This review was originally posted at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
This was a fun fated mates romance. Jasper has five days to convince his Christmas hating mate to fall in love with his Christmas loving self. I quite enjoyed this romance even though it did have some issues. This is a fated mate romance so they do fall in love almost instantly. I liked how each day they went on a unique date and got to know each other though.
Abigail’s reason for hating Christmas is reasonable but her justification for working in a Christmas gift shop made no sense to me. I still enjoyed it but just found it odd. Jasper and Abigail were a cute couple and I enjoyed their fast paced relationship.
Overall, this was a good holiday romance featuring a grinch and Christmas obsessed dragon. The characters were good and the story was interesting but nothing stood out as amazing. While I did enjoy this book, I feel it will be one that I don’t remember in the future. Still don’t regret reading it though.
This review was originally posted at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
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