Dragon's Bride

by Darah Lace

A Fantasy Dragon-Shifter Romance

Cerya

As the only eligible female dragon of childbearing age, I'm promised by the elders to a man I don't love. To make things worse, I'm fast approaching my time for breeding. My only hope is to escape during the All Hallows Eve Ball. But when plans go awry, I'm reluctantly rescued by the only man who makes my pulse race…and my heart ache.

Talon

I gave up my right to claim Cerya as my mate after learning she was engaged to my cousin, a man I admire and respect, the King of the Drakur. I've even managed to keep my distance from her and build a wall around my heart. But when I find her in the early stage of mating heat and surrounded by a ballroom full of eager males, I’m driven to protect her. Resisting the call to mate is the hardest thing I'll ever do, but giving in means betrayal of kin and kingdom.

Genres: Dragons

97 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2025

Reviews

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 to 3*

For some reason despite the awful cover I checked out the blurb and decided to give this a try.
Cerya Vasiliev is the only eligible female dragon of child bearing age and the elders have proclaimed an engagement between her and Leander, the Drakur leader.
Cerya agreed but now knows she can’t go through with being someone’s breeding cow. After greeting her when she first arrived she hasn’t seen Leander since and she’s been locked away for three weeks. This isn’t the future she wants stuck in a loveless marriage so with the help of her sister Anna she plans to escape. The problem is she’s in heat.

This was a bit of a mixed bag.
It’s a hot read although it was obvious who was what to whom and how it would end early on.
It wasn’t a comedy but every time I read:
Monster Ball
Monsters United (no not a football team)
Monster Care (a hospital for non-humans)
I had to pause, it just didn’t fit and all I could think of was Monsters Inc. I know this is a book about dragon shifters and werewolves and vampires are here as well but the monster thing just didn’t work like this, not in a book that isn’t for children.

I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by NetGalley and The Wild Rose Press.

[Ari Reavis · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Received from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*

There was a lot of action and sexiness packed into a short read. I could've done with more dragon-ish stuff in the book, but overall pretty good. The romance was believable and they had to fight for it, in more ways than one. Happy ending.

[Chelon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good but could have been great. The build-up to the mating was hot and sexy, and interesting. It was like all the effort was put into the first chapters then it became about wrapping it up in a nice clean bow, which is fine just not as interesting. I really wish this was longer maybe then the author could have expanded the tension and gave them something to battle against other than themselves.

I was given an ARC for my honest opinion.

[kymagirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A forbidden bond. A choice between duty and desire. A love that defies fate.

Cerya grows up under the weight of destiny, trapped by expectations and bound to a betrothal she never chose. When her dragon blood begins to awaken, the fire inside her makes her both powerful and vulnerable. On Halloween night she risks everything to escape, only to find danger waiting in the shadows and one man determined to stand between her and the world.

Talon has spent a year burying his feelings for the woman promised to his cousin. Loyal yet torn, he’s sworn to keep his distance, but protecting Cerya soon becomes impossible to separate from wanting her. When their bond ignites, it tests his honor, his heart, and the family he thought he could never betray.

The world around them demands obedience, but secrets, choices, and betrayals push them toward a breaking point. For Cerya, it’s a fight between fear and freedom. For Talon, it’s about proving his love is more than instinct and standing by her no matter the cost.

Cerya transforms from someone caged by duty into a woman who claims her strength and vulnerability. Talon shifts from restraint into a leader who embraces both love and responsibility. Together their relationship evolves from forbidden longing into trust, passion, and an enduring partnership. Their journey is intense, transformative, and ultimately about finding where they belong.

A steamy, forbidden, dragon shifter, fated mates, secret pregnancy romantasy, exploring love, destiny, sacrifice, betrayal, power, freedom, family, and trust. It’s about love tested by fate, sacrifices made for family, betrayals that scar and heal, and the freedom found in choosing trust.

[ChunkyMamaBook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blessed again to be an ARC reader for this lovely author. This time for a modern day fantasy with Dragon's Bride.

As usual, Darah has me hanging on for the miscommunication to be cleared up and it never fails to make me so happy when it does.

Cerya & Talon both struggle to admit their feelings even if it's just to themselves. Always placing duty & honour of their species and family before their own wants and needs.
So this miscommunication trope had me hooked for more than having the air cleared, but from understanding that it's hard to be vulnerable with someone you wish to give your heart too.

The spicy scenes in this were amazing and it just made the tension between the two main characters all the more gripping as you wanted them to finally give in. Even if it's to their basic urges.

For a short story, I loved how beautifully Darah weaved in the details of the dragon race into the modern world and how their appearance is mostly human until their need to transition. Along with how the dragon species coexist in the modern day world whilst keeping their tradition of having a Leader/Lord of their race & how to keep the bloodlines going (arranged marriages which is we see here).

Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a short, spicy dragon romantasy. Solid 4 stars ⭐

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

​This was my first book by Darah Lace so I didn't know what to expect. I don't read many dragon shifter stories so I was excited to give it a try. I can say that Cerya and Talon's story was an interesting read, and I enjoyed it. It's a quick read about two people who love each other but are bound by duties bigger than them. Cerya is a rare female dragon who can have children. It's her duty to marry and mate with their clan's leader to produce an heir and keep the dragon line going. Unfortunately, for her, that is Talon's cousin. Talons is crushed of course but understands he must let her go. It's during her mating season that things take an unexpecting twist I didn't see coming but truly liked. It played out in Cerya and Talon's favor in the end. Also, it was interesting that she became pregnant immediately afterwards. I've never read a shifter romance where that happened so that was new to me, but it worked well with the plot. Overall, this was a good read I'd recommend, and I will be reading more from Darah Lace in the future.

[Callie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cerya is trapped in a hotel room, but she doesn’t want to be. She is engaged to someone who doesn’t seem to like her and she has no way of escape. The man she wants doesn’t seem to want her either, so she has her sister help her escape.
Dragon’s Bride is a great read, an absolute gem of a story. The storyline is different and unexpected, a five-star read and one you won’t want to put down. The characters are written well and make you care about them more than just someone on the page. Make sure you grab this book and enjoy!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lorraine Whiteley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book, although it was way too short. I would have happily read a novel from this author. Passion, hormonal dragons, steamy scenes, action - it's all here.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Megan K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic novella, spicy and heartfelt love. Loved the different take on dragons and mates, could have been a full novel - left me wanting more!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tara McNeal · Rating 5 out of 5]

It started off where I wasn't sure what was going on but soon was completely hooked. Such a fun read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Morally_Gray_Nola · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Dragon’s Bride’ is a cozy, sweet, whimsical story that refreshingly takes a few unexpected turns. Author Darah Lace has written a great character driven story here.

*** Recommended ***

MMC:
✨Talon
FMC:
✨Cerya
HEA/Cliffhanger:
✨HEA
Tropes:
👉fantasy romance
👉forced proximity
👉fated mates
👉damsel in distress
👉MF
Triggers:
💥18+
💥sex
💥violence
💥breeding
Burn Speed:
✨medium
Spice Level:
✨🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[DeeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

For short story, the Stephanie had a lot going on. This is a modern day fantasy read. It is very spicy, but I feel in that short amount of pages. It was gripping enough to keep you reading it in one city. Well done Darah Lace

[L KQ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arrangement Gone Wrong

This short read was spicy and sweet. Cerya is arranged to be married, but she has other plans. When her escape hoes wrong, Talon comes to her rescue. It was a fun story as plans unfolded and everything worked out. I just wished there was more.

I am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short steamy novella about dragon shifters

Sooooooo...
...I learned that I like two types of shifters. 😏

I always been a 100% 🐺 wolf shifter (werewolf, Lycan,...) and I could not stomache any other type of shifter.
Don't give me any cougars, bears,... I need my animals scary, bulky, growly,... Not remind me of 🐈cat-like spinning or 🐻 teddy bear cuteness.

🥵🔥🌶️ But #hotdamn, it appears I like myself a dragon shifter too! 🥵🔥🌶️<

What it is about:
A female dragon shifter attempts to escape before her arranged marriage, but is struggling by her upcoming heat and people scheming behind her back.

What I loved:
📖it had an actual plot, even though it was a novella
🌶️the hot spicy scenes

What I missed:
🐉more dragon stuff (temperament, hot-headedness, fire breathing,...), soooo many options!

What you need to know:
📕standalone
🦐novella
💕it's always been you
💯% would recommend
❤️HEA

[Lois Karasek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love dragons!

I love dragons, and this story didn't disappoint. Talon and Cerya faced challenges to their love but persevered with unflinching determination. Very well written with engaging characters.

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great world-building

Dragon’s Bride is a quick, sexy read. Even though it is novella length, the fantasy world-building is fabulous. The chemistry between Talon and Cerya is instant and super hot. I would love to see this as a series. If you are looking for a short, erotic read, I highly recommend this romantic story. 

[A Hopeless Romantic's Booklandia · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite romance genre is paranormal and I love all things paranormal, but especially dragon stories! Now, I'm sure you can guess what first drew me to Dragon’s Bride. It sounded just like my kind of read when I checked out the synopsis and I was excited to start it. Dragon’s Bride was so good, I really enjoyed it!

Talon and Cerya are a great pair and it wasn't hard to like them. Cerya is determined to do her own thing and go her own way, but she really loves Talon and Talon feels exactly the same way. Talon is noble and honorable and truly a gentleman. Cerya means the world to him and he’d do anything for her and to protect her. I just loved him and her both!

Dragon’s Bride was a lot shorter than I was expecting, but don’t let its size fool you because it packed full of everything a novel would have. It’s full of passion, action, and heat. It will tug on your heart and melt it and make you smile. It is one of the most unique dragon books I’ve read, Ms. Lace definitely made her Dragons her own and I absolutely loved the way she wrote them. I’m looking forward to seeing more from Ms. Lace and if she has any new spins on any of other paranormal creatures I'm familiar with!

Dragon’s Bride is a standalone, it’s told from Talon and Cerya’s POV, and they do get their happily-ever-after.

~ Sonja, 4 Stars

[Paul Franco · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this short novel—I read it in about two hours—a female dragon shapeshifter is basically forced by “The Elders” to mate with a seemingly emotionless leader, held captive until she comes into heat. And when she does. . . does she ever! Of course his cousin and her sister are involved, and there’s all kinds of secret relationships that that are bursting to unsecret themselves.
Eh. . .
At the heart of most romances, even paranormal, is a lack of communication, but this book ups that factor by a few levels. Even the thing with the supposed bad guys would have worked out if only these people talked to each other. It’s all supposed to come off as “love is inevitable” with a touch of “all’s well that ends well,” but it’s really more frustrating than anything else, and the sex scenes don’t have enough to make up for it.

[Malini · Rating 5 out of 5]

His Mate by MeemsAngel82

When you're getting a dragon tale, this has got to be a fun read and it was! This was excellent, a couple with such a hot connection and with a history of wanting one another. This was written well and I appreciate the four main characters, and let's not forget a beloved pet.

He denied them out of duty but not anymore.

Oh, I would have loved this to be longer! This was fantastic! If I were her I would have made him work for it more, duty is fine, breaking someone's heart is another thing all together. I would have just loved more time spent advancing towards this mating heat and more time afterwards. But this was a fun read with some great side characters and a great story. High heat and a great plot, and an entertaining one.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit of a mixed bag. It started out promising, but after the first few chapters, it felt like the focus shifted to tying things up neatly rather than deepening the story. The worldbuilding had potential, but calling everything Monster something—Monster Ball, Monsters United, Monster Care—just didn’t fit the tone and made it hard not to think of Monsters Inc.

The romance itself was predictable, and the lack of communication between characters drove most of the conflict, which became frustrating after a while. The steamier scenes were fine but not enough to make up for the rushed plot and one-dimensional resolution. Overall, an okay quick read if you’re after something light and spicy, but it doesn’t quite live up to its potential.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Katherine Yearwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a die-hard fan when it comes to the genre of Paranormal Romance. So, when I got the chance to read Dragon’s Bride penned by Darah Lace and published under The Wild Rose Press brand (October 30, 2017). I thought what the heck. It’s paranormal, has romance and it's about dragons. First, Dragon’s Bride (Monster Ball) is short only 69 pages, so a very quick read, depending on how fast you read. Character building was nonexistent. However, the romance between Talon and Cerya was hot and short. Once the coupling was complete, three maybe four paragraphs later the book was over.
The book could have been better if the story was a full-length novel and not a novella. Otherwise, I enjoyed my thirty minutes.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting Shifter Romance!

Dragon’s Bride is a wonderfully entertaining Dragon shifter story. I am impressed with such complex content in this short novella! There are so many interesting characters within this intriguing magical world.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dragon’s Bride and do hope Darah Lace considers turning this into a series. There seems to be so much more to explore within the dynamic of the clan of Dragons, the existence of other supernatural beings and humans and all the drama and suspense that brings. I recommend!

[Romantasy Bookmama · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be honest, im not used to short books, so with Dragon's Bride, you dont get that emotional impact im used to, that comes with world building and character depth, but for a short read, it had enough to keep me wanting more. I could certainly see this book being stretched out to add those elements however.

The beginning of the book hooked me, the ending however was very predictable. With that being said, I still enjoyed it.

A fun, entertaining book that combines tension, spice, protective MMC, with dragons.

I rate it 3 1/2 stars.

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story is dual POV, and a fast-paced, forbidden lovers, heat induced, dragon shifter romance between Cerya, the female dragon shifter lead, and Talon, the male dragon shifter lead and her arranged betrothed’s friend. I empathised with both characters’ feelings of despair. I enjoyed Cerya’s heat-induced pushiness and Talon’s determination to make things good.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Dragon's Bride by Darah Lace from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the summary and I am happy to report that the book did not disappoint. Yes, the plot was a little predictable and the lead characters made me want to throw my hands up at times, but it was a fun read - and a quick read. A fun romance to unwind with.

[poppy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good quick paranormal romance Darah is a new author to me and I am looking forward to trying more from this author in the future.It was a well written hot little read and was a bit different from any of the other dragon books I had read in the past.I just loved Talon and Cerya they were truly great together and were wonderful characters.

[Alex Silver · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.3/5

Very cringy. Didn’t mind the plot but it was executed as if they were all teenagers.



Dragons. Arranged marriage to the wrong man. Second in command loves her. Forced mating. Heat. Pregnancy. Angst for no reason. No breakup. No cheating. No OWD. No virgins. Second chance. No epilogue. HFN.

[Priscilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a really good novella. Cerya and Talon are mates that have been separated by circumstances but brought back together with some help of others. It was well written, short and sweet.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this romantasy novella!

I enjoyed the main as well as the supporting characters!

Communication…it's so important.
Cerya and Talon will show you why that is!

Love me some dragons!

[Teddi Edge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a hot and fun read. It was pretty predictable and I would have love more things to do with the actual dragon side of things but still had a good time reading this. I do love the evolution of our MCs together and fated mates is always a guarantee that I’ll pick up the book