Dragons & Dumplings

Falhaven Castle #0.5

by Laura Greenwood

A princess who wants to bake, a visiting delegation, and a dragon egg in the oven.

Princess Evie loves nothing more than spending the evening baking in the castle's kitchen with her best friend Nate, even if she's supposed to be attending royal functions and meeting ambassadors.

When a foreign delegation visits, Nate manages to get some new recipes for them to try. But that's not all that's new in the kitchen when Evie is gifted a dragon egg and told to keep it in the fire.

Now, dumplings aren't the only thing being made in the kitchen.

-

Dragons & Dumplings is a prequel to the Falhaven Castle series, a cozy fantasy with a baking dragon, a princess who wants to be in the kitchen over the throne room, and the baker who wants to be there with her. There is a slow burn friends-to-lovers romance, with a pinch of steam in later books, and an ace heroine.

Genres: Fantasy, Cozy, Dragons, Novella, Fantasy Romance, Cozy Fantasy, Romantasy

88 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 30, 2025

About the author

Laura is a USA Today Bestselling Author of fantasy romance and urban fantasy. She lives in the UK, where most of her books are set, with her partner. When she's not writing, Laura can be found exploring worldwide cusine with her partner, drinking tea, and reading fantasy books. Laura specialises in quick reads, featuring healthy relationships and consent-positive moments, regardless of whether she's writing light-hearted romance, mythology-inspired modern fantasy, cozy fantasy or anything in between.

Discover one of Laura Greenwood's most popular series:
- The Apprentice of Anubis (mythology inspired modern/urban fantasy)
- Forgotten Gods (mythology inspired fantasy romance)
- Jinx Paranormal Dating Agency (mythology inspired paranormal rom-com)
- House of Blood and Roses (vampire romantasy)
- Amethyst's Wand Shop Mysteries (urban fantasy murder mystery)
- Scales of Justice (mythology inspired modern/urban fantasy)
- Purple Oak Oasis (cozy fantasy romance)
- Falhaven Castle (cozy fantasy romance)

You can find a full book list and more information on her website, or in her Facebook Reader Group.

Happy Reading!

Reviews

[Michaela | bumblebeeslibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute and cozy fantasy prequel that leaves you ready and wanting to read the first book!

Dragons & Dumplings is a short novella, introducing you to Princess Evie, Nate, and of course her dragon pet. This story is just super cozy, and makes you want to bake a bunch of yummy treats. Reading this book will definitely make you hungry because all of the baking, especially for the dumplings that the characters describe in great detail as they make. I am one of those people who can turn on Food Network and just let it play all day as background noise, but also love to watch because I find cooking shows soothing. This story is a cooking show in written form, and reading through the whole process of Nate and Evie baking dumplings is just so comforting, and hunger inducing!

I am excited to read the first book in the Falhaven Castle series after getting this quick introduction to the characters.

Thank you so much to the author for a copy of this book!

[Isabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cozy and cute but there was definitely a much higher focus on the baking than the dragons. It started to feel a bit too repetitive and monotone to me. I can be pretty picky with novellas and needed a little bit more excitement, emotionally or adventure-related.

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so unbelievably adorable!

I'm not usually one to pick up a fantasy book but Dragons and Dumplings caught my eye, primarily for the alliterative title and the fact they have a DRAGON who BAKES! (I mean, come on!)

Princess Evie is such a relatable character (despite being a princess). I love her aversion to tight, itchy clothes and the general underlying suggestion (can't remember if it was actually confirmed, sorry) that she's neurodivergent.

What IS confirmed however, is the fact that Evie is asexual (which, not going to lie, when I found out, sealed the deal for me). It's quite rare, in my opinion, to find an asexual main character, and rarer still to find one whose whole story isn't about being asexual. Of course, I'll have to read the rest of the series to make sure that rings true, but in this prequel, its just an aside that creates a nice dynamic between Evie and Nate (the baker's apprentice / Evie's only friend / future love interest (i gather)).

There's so much more I could say, about the integration of different cultures into a fantasy setting, or just the pure joy of baking something new for the first time, but I'll leave something for you to find out when you read it.

As for me? I'm off to find the next book in the series.

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy from the author and voluntarily reviewed it. All opinions are my own.

I was so excited when I heard Laura Greenwood was writing a cozy fantasy series. Having one of my favorite authors write a genre I love was so exciting. I started this one as soon as I could. Dragons & Dumplings is a prequel to the series set 5 years before the first book, I liked how it intrudes Evie and Nate as well as the dragon. I had so much fun reading this one!

I really liked this book. I loved the cozy fantasy vibes and the slight hint of politics going on in this fantasy world. There was enough details to get a bit of a vibe for this world and the different countries, but I am sure more will come in future books. I liked reading about Evie and seeing her interact with her siblings. I also liked the plot line about the dragon egg and seeing it hatch.

Evie is a likable character and she feels realistic. I thought she felt pretty relatable, with her love for food as well as her sensory sensitivities or struggling to understand some social cues which are things I have as well. I liked reading about her and look forward to reading more about her in future books.

And then there was the way Evie interacted and baked with Nate, those scenes were so fun. I really liked the baking scenes, they have a lot of details and it was fun reading those scenes and seeing them bake together. I thought this was nice set up for their romance and the friend to lovers trope is one of my favorite tropes. They were so sweet together and I can't wait to see their friendship turn into romance.

To summarize: This was such a great introduction to this series. I was so excited that Laura Greenwood is writing a cozy fantasy series and I really enjoyed this prequel. I liked the cozy fantasy vibes and all the baking scenes. Evie is such a great main character and she felt realistic and relatable. I liked seeing her interact with her siblings and the slight bit about the politics. I also liked the dragon plot line. It was fun to see Evie and Nate bake together and the set up for their romance. I like the friends to lovers trope and am looking forward to see their romance develop. I am excited to read the next books in this series!

[Chad Barrus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy from the author and though not required to post a review I wanted to share my honest, voluntary impressions of the book.

Evie is a princess who would rather be found in the kitchen baking with her best friend Nate, a pastry apprentice, than dealing with any royal duties. When a visiting delegation presents her a dragon egg and is told to keep it in a hot fire so it’ll hatch, she places it in the oven in the palace kitchen where she and Nate make pastries. Nate receives a couple of recipes from the visiting chef and they make them as they always want to try out new recipes. While doing that the egg hatches and they now have a baby dragon! Then Nate is sent away to become a full fledged pastry chef.

This is a prequel to a book coming out in the fall about Nate’s return to the castle and Evie.

There is no romance in the book but both have feelings for each other so perhaps something will happen when he returns.

I enjoyed this book getting to know Evie and Nate and look forward to reading the follow up book later this year when they see each other again! Therefore, I recommend this book to you to set the stage for that upcoming book!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bake cute

If I had one sentence I’d say a little less baking a little more talking. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed learning the new things with Evie and Nate but as an introduction to a new world it was a little light on the intro if you catch my drift. I think Evie is going to be a most wonderful and diverse character to get to know in future stories. And I am interested is seeing how they will react and reconnect after their time apart. I would like to know more about Evie’s family and their country hopefully that comes in future books. All in all it’s a cute story.

[Chelsea 🥀🗡🖤 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ super cute/wholesome little read.

[Kymmie May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute story!!

This story was the cutest story ever! It made me smile so much while reading and truly enjoyed it! Can’t wait read more about Evie and Nate

[Devin Wiesner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me want to read the rest of the series. A great short read for my flight!

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is like 70% recipe blog and 2% dragons.

[Beverly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lol she didn’t do her research on this one. Turned out to be a prequel, so not even 100p long ahahah. Got it on a stuff your kindle day. It was cozy, but I’m unfortunately not intrigued enough to want to read the actual series.

[Tim McCanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too cute

The writing seemed very disjointed but the characters were sweet. If you’re a lover of baking, which I’m not, this could be a very fun story.

[Beba Andric · Rating 5 out of 5]

A light, breezy, delightful, uncomplicated cosy read, that sure titillated and tantalised my palette, and boy, what I wouldn't do for a custard filled dumpling! What's cool is there's a recipe book attached! So guess who's going to be trying out some yummy recipes.... although, I'll be all on my lonesome in the kitchen, I don't have a Nate to keep me company or help out with baking. See, Nate works in the kitchen at the palace where Evie is a princess. A very different kind of Princess. She has a baking fetish, all things sticky, and yummy aromas, are her happy place. Being a Princess who has to conform to "the proper protocol" is definitely NOT her jam! Custard is...

I love a Laura read, I love the life she infuses into her characters, they stand apart, they're extremely likeable and feel like long time friends. Which is precisely what Evie and Nate are, friends since childhood. There's definitely a spark between these 2, and not only their love of baking. Neither acknowledge it but Laura already sets the blocks up, a touch here, a glance there, that you can FEEL what they are. And I can say, with total conviction, this spark is just waiting to erupt. They are so comfortable with each other, they understand each other, so when Evie receives a dragon egg from a visiting delegation, there's no question she and Nate will come up with a solution. Which worked. Which brought a cute green dragon called Ember to hatch.

This entire story was sweet and tender, Laura's depiction of family dynamics was spot on. I loved both Evie and Nate right from the beginning and I also felt such sympathy for them. Evie, her role as princess was so well described, I started itching and I wasn't even wearing a stiff collar or scratchy material. Nate, well, his dad doesn't recognise his talent, so he arranges an apprenticeship for him. Far from the palace. Far from Evie. I loved how their emotions leaped out at me. I loved everything about this beautiful story and I can't wait to get into the series.

[The Book Nerd's Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novelette that introduces Falhaven Castle and a princess that loves to bake.

Princess Evie tries to be a proper princess, but she wants nothing more than to spend her days baking with her best friend, Nate. When a delegation from Shengda arrives, Evie receives a dragon egg, and she decides that its hearth is going to be the castle kitchen's oven. As Evie and Nate wait for the dragon to hatch, they decide to make a foreign dumpling recipe from the Shengdan envoy.

I thought that this is a cute introduction into the "Falhaven Castle" series. I definitely adore the little bit that I know about Evie and Nate; I look forward to reading their happily ever after this fall. I also think that it's neat that Evie is asexual and maybe even neurodivergent. It's cool that she loves to bake and the fact that she's gradually falling for her baker bestie is a pretty cute narrative to follow.

I honestly only rated this one so low because I'm not a huge fan of solid baking stories. Reading about people cooking is hard for me to follow and I often lose track of what is happening. I really liked all other aspects of this story though, so I feel that I'll really like the rest of this series.

Overall, "Dragons and Dumplings" is a quick introduction to the Falhaven Castle and its many residents. I'm excited to learn more about all the royals in the next installments of this series, and I'll be awaiting Nate's return vigilantly.

[purrs and plotlines · Rating 5 out of 5]

This prequel was short and sweet, introducing us to Princess Evie and the baker’s apprentice/son Nate. These two will be the featured characters in Princesses & Pastries, which is dropping this November.

Evie is not your typical princess. Daily royal life and duties does not interest her; she’d rather be in the kitchen baking new recipes with her friend Nate. However, when we meet Evie, a royal delegation has arrived and a banquet is taking place. At said banquet she receives a dragon egg as a gift from the emperor.

Throughout this story, we get to observe the world through Evie’s eyes. It’s too loud, full of too many social rules, and honestly, full of sensory overload which is relatable. Her comfort is found in the calm kitchen baking with Nate, who she notes is the only person she can withstand dealing with their personal habits for long periods of time.

During one of their sessions, her egg hatches and we meet Ember. A little green dragon, that adores both Evie and Nate and has quite the personality. Ember becomes Evie’s companion as we find out Nate is being sent off to continue his culinary education. With her safe person gone, Evie must make her way in this royal world with only her little dragon and letters from Nate until he returns.

I look forward to the next story where we follow Evie’s brother Arthur in Love Letters & Lemon Drops, dropping June 3rd!

[Emily Buehler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragons and Dumplings by Laura Greenwood is a novella prequel featuring a princess who wants to hang around the castle kitchens with her best friend and pet dragon and bake things. I really liked it! I’m unsure how to describe it because not a lot happens, and many pages involve the characters baking in detail, and it seems like the book should have been boring, but it wasn’t. The fantasy world was pretty simple but did not feel cliched.

Princess Evie is asexual and has discomfort around noise and other sensations, and I wonder if the book appealed to me strongly because I connected so much with her character. For example, she is always avoiding royal duties to go to the kitchens and bake with the apprentice pastry chef, and her siblings assume she is sleeping with him. When her sister asks her, the idea is so far off her radar that she doesn’t even understand the question at first. The characters seemed well written to me, with subtle cues showing their emotions (as opposed to “telling”). I kept finding myself thinking, “I’ve never read a scene like this before.” But I wonder if the story seems so fresh simply because of how few ace characters there are in romance novels.

[Sherry Cammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dragons and Dumplings by Laura Greenwood

5 Stars

#BookReview



I absolutely loved this book. The author weaves such a cute cozy read.

Evie is a Princess, however she really does not enjoy her Princess duties. She finds the most joy when she is in the kitchen baking. She shares her love of baking with the head chef’s son, Nate. Together they try new recipes and share a great friendship.

During one of the castles grand affairs an ambassador brings gifts for all. Evie is given a dragon egg. She is told it needs to be in a very hot place in order to hatch. Evie and Nate decide to put the egg in their baking oven. It is pure delight when “Ember” hatches.

I really can’t say enough great things about this book. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop. And then when I finished it, I had to immediately download the next book. This is a series that I know I will continue reading until the very end. I can’t wait to read more about Evie and Nick. And I’m so excited to see what antics Ember gets into. I love this little dragon.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Evie is definitely not comfortable doing courtly things, the clothing is itchy, she’s inept at social niceties, and awkward at small talk. She’d much rather spend her time baking with her best friend, Nate, the son of the castle’s baker. When an ambassador from a visiting court gifts her a dragon egg, she decides the best place to keep it warm is in the kitchen oven. While waiting on it to hatch, she and Nate try out new recipes from the visiting cook. Learning that Nate may be leaving for an apprenticeship, Evie is devastated. But at least she’ll have her newly hatched dragon, Ember, to keep her company.

Dragons & Dumplings is the prequel to Laura Greenwood’s new Fallhaven Castle fantasy series. We’re introduced to Princess Evie and her family as well as the significant castle staff. Evie is charming and relatable, not quite fitting in with her royal family. Her childhood friendship with Nate is firmly in the just friends status here, but there are hints of romantic feelings developing between them. The baking techniques and recipes are well described making you feel that you’re part of the process. Ember looks to be a wonderful addition to the story and I’m looking forward to what kind of mischief a dragon will cause in the kitchen. This prequel definitely sets the stage for an enchanting new series.

[DianaRaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

DRAGONS & DUMPLINGS is the prequel to the new 'Falhaven Castle' series by Laura Greenwood. This is another entertaining, light read from this author that creates great characters and wonderful worlds. A princess that prefers being in the kitchen instead of the throne room is a unique premise, making this another cute story concentrating more on romance than magic.

Princess Evie loves two things more than being a royal, baking, and the company of the baker's son. When Evie is gifted with a dragon egg and the only thing she's been told is to keep it hot. So, into the oven it goes. Now she's concerned that if it doesn't hatch, will she be in trouble?  

This is a cute, very slow romance story that's sure to bloom in future installments

I did receive a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[CloudsofEscape · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘱, 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘳?”

“𝘏𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵. 𝘖𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥.”

✨Vibes✨

- Cosy fantasy
- Dragon
- Baking
- Princess and Baker

This was a nice novella! I’d say it’s a 3.5 for me, it was definitely cosy vibes and has left me wanting dumplings or to actually have something with custard, I’m a big fan of baked goodies so now I’m hungry after reading this 😩

I do definitely feel it could have been a bit longer though and I wish the dragon was more involved as it didn’t appear until literally the end of the novella which I’m sad about, I know that there is a follow up in another book but I feel it could of all been put into this one maybe! But that could just be me!

Still it was an enjoyable short read 🙂‍↕️

[Catalina Paris · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

The dragon really only comes in at the end, which is also where the story starts to pick up as Nate leaves. The majority was like following a recipe, which isn't really my thing and despite her research, the characters talk in a very contemporary way to the point where some scenes were jarring in a fairytale setting.
The dragon was cute and I like the idea of a Green Oak Dragon. I wish there had been more focus on the dragon aspects of the story, for example in one scene Evie tells the reader that she asked the Shengda ambassador for more information about caring for the dragon but this could have been explored more or shown.
Also I really like the drawing of Ember the dragon curled around a pie 🥧 in the chapter headers!

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick read and I loved it! Evie is quite naive and neurodivergent. She tolerates the teasing by her siblings. Most of the time she doesn't understand what they mean.

Nate is her only and best friend. She can be herself around him and it's clear he loves her just as she is.

She's gifted a dragon egg but has no idea what to do with it. The dragon egg hatches after being placed in the oven, the warmest place she could think of.

I loved all the baking scenes. I could almost smell what they were making. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

The characters are loveable. The scenes are written vividly. I highly recommend reading!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Cozy Fantasy series prequel with a slow burn. Princess Evelyn loves to bake. Her best friend is the castle bakers son, Nate. Gifted by a neighboring kingdom’s delegation a dragon egg, Evie decides the possible hatchling can assist with her in the kitchen. Background. Sibling order: Crown Princess Kathryn (24), Evie/Evelyn (19), Veronica (18), Artie/Arthur (17) and Ernest (5). She is made aware of her time spent with Nate by her sister and since, is conscious of feelings. She is innocent and naive. I like that the author gives explanations and provides recipes used in the story. It’s a cute story with minimal romance.

[Sophie Eaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This prequel story for Falhaven Castle introduces us to Evie, a princess who likes to bake, and her friendship with Nate, the son of the head pastry chef. They like to try new recipes and then eat their results. During a visit from a foreign delegation, Evie is gifted a Green Oak Dragon egg, which she incubates in the kitchen oven and consequently hatches into a small green dragon, currently named Ember. Just as Evie is starting to think about their friendship in a new light, Nate is sent away by his father to start an apprenticeship in a foreign land. The first book in the series starts 5 years from the prequel, I cant wait to hear what happens next.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Greenwood is one of my favorite go-to authors for clean, quick, and feel-good reads and this novella was no exception.

Princess Evie spends a lot of time in the kitchens with her friend Nate, and chafes (literally) with some of the responsibilities that come from being a princess. I really like how she is probably neurodivergent and everyone accepts it and helps her with the small things she struggles with.

Anyhow, Evie is gifted a dragon egg, which she sticks into one of the kitchen ovens to keep warm. And it hatches. And I can’t wait to read the rest of the series about a dragon in the kitchen. And I can’t wait to read more of Evie and Nate.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dragons and Dumplings by Laura Greenwood pleasantly surprised me. I don’t usually read cozy books, so this was my first experience with the genre. It’s a sweet, relaxing story — the kind you enjoy best with a warm cup of tea in your hands. It’s not demanding, but it will definitely make you crave all the delicious food mentioned throughout the story!

Laura Greenwood writes with warmth and ease that immediately draws you into her world. I loved how the story focused on the little joys of life — food, friendship, and those peaceful moments we often take for granted.

It’s not one of my favorite books, as I’ve realized cozy stories aren’t completely my style, but I was still curious to see how the romance would develop and what would happen to the dragon in the end. It was an easy and pleasant read — and that’s something I truly appreciate.

I recommend it to anyone looking for something calm, comforting, and with just a touch of magic.

[Mystyc Metrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an adorable little novella and prequel to the series. We meet Princess Evie, a princess who would rather spend her time baking in the castle kitchens with baker's apprentice Nate than attending state functions, as she attends a ceremony to greet the Shengda ambassadors. They gift her with a dragon egg, which she doesn't have the first idea about taking care of, but she puts it in the ovens as she and Nate try some of the new recipes from the Shengda delegation. This is a cute cozy story about baking and dragons which will pique your interest to read more of the series!

[Kelsey Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite the cozy book. If you love Dragons AND baking, well this is your book!
Evie is a princess who would much rather be baking in the kitchen with her long time friend, Nate.

Laura said she didn’t plan to write a prequel but I love the set up. I’m excited for the next book but also mad because it’s much farther ahead them I thought (you’ll understand when you read the ending)

I can’t wait to read more and love the dynamics of this. Oh and can’t wait to see what trouble Ember causes along the way :)

[L & J Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute romantasy novella

Evie is a princess of Falhaven and second in line to the throne but Evie is only interested in baking with her best friend Nate, the son of the head baker and a talented baker himself. When a delegation from a neighboring kingdom comes to visit, Evie is given a gift of a green dragon egg. The dragon egg needs heat to quicken and after a few days in the castle oven, it hatches. Evie seems to be oblivious to Nate’s attraction to her. The story ends on a cliffhanger but leaves hope for a later HEA.

[Gerald Sessions · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evie is a princess that would much rather be in the kitchen baking then in the court, her older sister is the one destined to be queen. Nate is the son of the Castle Baker and Evie's partner in baking. She just gifted a dragon egg which hatches and the dragons named ember. Is the story of friendship between the princess and the Baker but it's really a love story but he leaves for further training book 2 Takes place on his return five years later. This book was wonderful. Can't wait to see how Amber turns out and what happens when Nate returns.