Court of Rivals

Their Dragon Rider #1

by Lacey Carter Andersen

What happens when you’re the only female dragon rider surrounded by gorgeous, angry men? Nothing but trouble.

I’m nobody special. Just a healer in a small village. The only girl in a house full of rowdy boys. But then I stumble across an injured dragon, save his life, and everything changes.

My dragon decides that we’ll go to the dragon rider academy and become great warriors together. There's just one problem. All dragon riders are male, and all dragons are female. Considering I break their most basic rules just by existing, no one is exactly rolling out the welcome mat for me. Especially not the three darkly handsome princes who run the academy. They've decided a common-born woman could never handle a powerful male dragon, especially not without dishonoring everything they hold dear, so their solution is make my life hell until I quit.

Too bad they don't know me very well. I've never backed down from a challenge, and I'm not about to start now…

COURT OF RIVALS is a reverse harem bully romantasy. It's high heat, with a confident, sarcastic heroine and jealous and possessive alpha men.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Why Choose, Enemies To Lovers

204 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2025

About the author

Lacey Carter Andersen loves reading, writing, and drinking excessive amounts of coffee. She spends her days taking care of her husband, three kids, and three cats. But at night, everything changes! Her imagination runs wild with strong-willed characters, unique worlds, and exciting plots that she enthusiastically puts into stories.

Lacey has dozens of tales: science fiction romances, paranormal romances, short romances, reverse harem romances, and more. So, please feel free to dive into any of her worlds; she loves to have the company!

And you're welcome to reach out to her; she really enjoys hearing from her readers.

You can find her at:
Email: laceycarterandersen@gmail.com

Mailing List: www.eepurl.com/cVwDNP

Website: https://laceycarterandersen.net/

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/Lacey-Carter-Anderse...

Reviews

[Toubob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting premise. I would have given it more stars but there was a shocking amount of misogynistic, sex negativity and almost every character had the mindset of victim blaming. I get that the author is setting up an enemies to lovers situation but don’t use concepts like ‘you can’t wear that outfit, I wouldn’t be able to control myself.’ No one should have to dress so that someone else won’t lose control. Each person is responsible for their actions. This is such an outdated mindset. It might have worked in the nineties but come on it’s 2025.

[Eirini · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the guys keeps calling the heroine ‘cok sucker’ repeatedly throughout the book, somehow trying to make it both an insult and a pet name.
cringe level:expert

Oh and the other also gives her a black eye.
There is more but thats enough to get the point across I think.

[JWinter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a good plot, nice enough world building and a strong enough MC. And if this was simply an action book with dragons, then it would have scored higher.
Unfortunately, the Male love interests mess with the decency of this book. They are just too childish and misogynistic. And the whole dragon lust causing human lust was just lazy writing.

One thing that specifically irritated me is the descriptions. Who describes eye colour like that? And exactly what size are these dragons, because the image in my head is that they're large dog size, but then the riding doesn't make sense? Or are the females the size of horses? that means the male is ten times bigger than a horse...how does that work? And the harem building based off the dragons doesn't make sense. You're stepping on the edge of consent there, and it feels like "Is this real love or just expectation and magic?".

There is not enough detail in the world building.

BUT

The male dragon, Ebron, is amusing, so I may just read the next one simply for his dialogue.

[Morally_Gray_Nola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Harper’s inner conversations. Especially regarding her brothers and father’s … delicate natures 😉 She is no delicate flower, definitely made of tough stuff—one of the reasons Ebron chose her. And boy, are the princes but-hurt over that. ‘Court of Rivals’ is a great foundation to this new series. It gives us a fleshed out view of the characters, the dragons & their mating habits, the kingdom, and court politics. Can’t hardly wait for book 2!

MMC:
✨Gareth
✨Alaric
✨Lucien
FMC:
✨Harper
HEA/Cliffhanger:
✨cliffhanger
Series:
✨Their Dragon Rider: Book 1
Tropes:
👉fantasy romance
👉reverse harem
👉possessive alpha mmc males
👉strong fmc
👉dragons
Triggers:
💥profanity
💥violence
💥bullying
Spice Level:
✨🌶️🌶️
✨MF

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragons nuff said

This one ends on a huge cliffhanger so just prepare yourself for it. An act of kindness saving/healing a dragon turns Harper’s world upside down. No longer will she be a healer in a small town. She’s off to Dragon Rider Academy to learn and prepare to fight. Unfortunately for her she’s an anomaly the only female rider, male dragon pair and no one likes the fact that their world view just got turned on its ear. But she’s determined and can give as good as she gets and finally feels as if she’s coming into her destiny. Then there’s some huge drama when the king drops a history lesson.
I really like Harper. She’s strong, fierce, brave and funny. I love how she never lets the jerks at the school dim her light. I think the world building is fascinating and I’m interested in learning more about the dragons and their enemies and how the wars started and why female riders are so special. The steam is building can’t wait to see how it develops. Very good beginning!

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wattpad

[Janet Welling · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ridiculous Tripe.

This book is stuck somewhere between a very young audience and a more mature one. The writing itself is extremely juvenile while certain aspects of the subject matter are anything but. Harper is the only female dragon rider in existence who must train with her male dragon at the academy. Interesting as there are no instructors, no classes and nothing that resembles a training ground for the kingdom’s elite “warriors.” It comes as no surprise when the man babies disguised as princes behave like spoiled toddlers and bully, intimidate and abuse the heroine. Typical, mundane, misogynistic nonsense. These guys are supposed to be the heroine’s love interests? How pathetic. This is a boring, unimaginative and poorly written book with zero points of interest. First time and last time I read anything by this author.

[Morgan Ostra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful writing

There’s no way this book is actually rated 4.5 stars. It reads like it was written by a middle schooler.

[Amara F · Rating 3 out of 5]

What men does this author know to make them write men like this in this book? lol all the men in this book acted like boys and obnoxious. Eating like pigs, farting, etc.

Everything happens really fast. Like too fast. Dragon saved, saying good bye to family then going to the academy. I would have liked that to flow a bit better.

It does get better when you get to the academy. I don’t normally like a bully to lover romance but I surprisingly don’t mind this one. I was getting into it and then bam, ending. I just need to know what freaking happens lol. I’m hoping for another potential love interest, I love that this author always surprises you with that sometimes in her books.

Oh I absolutely hate her nickname that they give her, i don’t mine vulgar statements but this is just meant for shock value and it does the story a disservice.

It’s not my fav series from this author but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I like this author a lot. I know there’s more to come with the second book. A great quick Romantasy read. I will be continuing this series.

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not someone who typically goes for "bully romance" style novels, but I love a story where the FMC gives as good as she gets if not better.
Meet Harper, small town girl in a household of all boys. Everything changes when she crosses paths with a dragon under threat by a bone wyrm. A dead dragon that has been forever changed. She steps in and saves his life. In exchange, he deems her fit to be his rider. Well, cue a major shake-up where dragon riders are trained. It's always been men who are nobles on female dragons. And in swoops Harper. Yep, cue the chaos and all the drama.
There is some mild steamy, but nothing intense but you gotta know it's all delicious nonetheless. The three princes are complete jerks but I am absolutely cheering for Harper every step of the way.
Expect a cliffhanger ending that will leave you eager for book two. I can't wait to find out what happens next!!

[Edith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omfg the end! The end!!!!!

Also, uh, I couldn't put down the book at all. I mean, we know how it will end. They will live happily ever after but in the meantime, they are totally smitten but being little bitch bullies.

This is delicious. Also, the FMC is amazing. The way she wins every verbal jabs and makes them her bitch. Amazing.

[hea booktubes]

DNF 5% her best friend farts while wrestling her. I don’t need farts in my books. It’s simply not for me.

[Teresa Juckett (Love Dark Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

You absolutely need to read this. If you love dragons, fierce fmc who knows how to give as good as she gets especially from not one but three princes who are pig headed as they try to get her to leave the dragon rider academy, because it's for males not females. This is just the first book and I can't wait to read more of this new series from this author.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this paranormal fantasy, dragons are always female and riders are always male. Chauvinist much? But then Harper, a female healer in a small village, rescues a rare male dragon and lo and behold she becomes his person.

Ebron, the dragon, has an enormous ego to match his size, and he communicates telepathically with Harper much to the chagrin of the male dragon riders. Natch, the female dragons preen and flirt which p’s off Prince Gareth, Prince Lucien and Prince Alaric, the top of the heap riders.

Somehow the princely trio get the obnoxious idea to bully Harper into giving up her dragon. What ensues goes to show don’t mess with a woman and her dragon.

A battle in the skies results in a cliffhanger…

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Extremely juvenile writing. The way all characters behave is extremely juvenile. None have either own voices/ personalities, all painted with the same juvenile brush. Events are not plausible, they’re odd scenarios made to fit the story… very badly.

[Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

At first, I was like "Dragons? Count me in." Then I read the reviews, and they all complained about the men acting like babies. I thought to myself, "It can't be THAT bad," so I decided to read it. It was, unfortunately, the worst decision of my life. No exaggerations here.

It reminded me of the book Eragon, which is about a boy who finds a dragon egg in the woods (very similar story except he was 15 and way more mature than any of these men.) This book is basically the same, but with opposite genders. The whole plot drew me in, since I really liked Eragon, but the “men” were unbelievable. I was like - What the fuck?? Why do they act like a bunch of immature 14-year-olds when they are over 30 years old (Some are already 40)? It pissed me off so bad because why are they so jealous of a girl who is actually worthy of being a dragon rider? DO THEY HATE HER OR DO THEY WANT HER like wdym they show desire with hate, and that's why they are sexist towards her??

I don't know what the author was thinking when she wrote this book. Because this book was so shockingly bad, I had to pause every 5 pages to reflect on what the fuck I was reading. Am I missing something here? Every male in this book was the same -toxic, sexist and immature, except for Harper’s dragon, Ebron. This could've been a decent read if the men were actually decent. You would think that their frontal lobes would be developed by now, but it seemed like none of the men in this book even managed to go past puberty. Talk about gentlemen, these men were absolute monkeys. When the book introduces the Harper's brothers and best friend, (MIND YOU THEY ARE 30-40 YEARS OLD!) my jaw actually dropped when I realised they farted on each other's faces bc what do you mean they fart on each other? It's actually so ridiculous that I started laughing because what is this? And they had the audacity to think they were alpha males.

I remember one scene (I might be wrong, but this is what I remember) where the FMC went to a bar, and she met another man, and she started talking to him, when suddenly one of the MMC stomped up to her like a whiny bitch and got mad bc he was talking to this man instead of him. Now this might sound like a scene that you would be giggling and kicking your feet in the air, but it is the exact opposite, bc the MMC's and other men in this story have done nothing but bully this poor woman bc she was a woman with the one of the last existing male dragons. Remember, girls and boys, nothing is worse than a man or woman who is jealous, sexist, and immature. (It goes both ways!) The males were pathetic, pitiful and poorly done.

Overall, I liked the plot, but I do think it was a little unoriginal. I couldn't stand any of the males, so I DNF the book. I don't recommend this book to ANYBODY unless you want immature 15-year-old boys as the love interests. (Which, frankly, I don't think anybody does.) I'm pretty sure all her books are like this bc I checked the reviews, so I don't recommend reading her books. One of the worst pieces of literature ever made.

[Lory · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love your fantasy fast-paced, filled with dragons, danger, and delicious tension, Court of Rivals will absolutely sink its claws into you.

From page one, I was hooked. Lacey Carter Andersen wastes no time throwing you into the chaos and I mean that in the best way possible. With a fierce, relatable heroine, sizzling enemies to lovers dynamics, and a world where dragons choose their riders (and possibly something much deeper), this book delivers on action, attitude, and addictive tension.

Harper is everything I want in a protagonist sassy, stubborn, and secretly soft. When she stumbles upon an injured dragon in the forest, her life takes a turn she never saw coming. Enter Ebron: a rare male dragon, arrogant as hell, and utterly devoted to Harper in a way that turns the entire kingdom upside down. Their bond? Pure gold. The banter, the bond, the back and forth… chef’s kiss.

And just when you think things can’t get more complicated, Harper enter the Academy where she's not only the only female dragon rider, but bonded to a male dragon, something that absolutely no one knows how to handle (or tolerate).

Cue the Princes.

Alaric, Gareth, and Lucien: three entitled, arrogant dragon riders with chips on their shoulders and secrets behind their sneers. Their mission? Make Harper miserable enough to quit. But Harper? She doesn’t back down. Watching her take on every insult, challenge, and sabotage attempt with grit and hilarious comebacks was SO satisfying.

This story isn’t just a slow burn reverse harem it’s a bully romance with teeth. There are power plays, steamy tension (hello, dragon rider bonds 👀), and just enough vulnerability beneath all that prince-y posturing to keep you desperately flipping pages. I’m especially invested in Gareth’s unraveling his internal struggle is written so well, and I can’t wait to see where it goes. (Also: Roland, step up! You know you want to.)

The dragon politics, academy tension, layered characters, and high stakes drama had me completely absorbed. And that cliffhanger? RUDE. In the best way. I'm already counting down the days for the next installment.

If you're into:

Bully/enemies to lovers vibes ✅

Dragons, academies, and magical bonds ✅

Sassy heroines who don’t quit ✅

Slow burn tension with groveling potential ✅

Action, angst, and addictive pacing ✅

...then Court of Rivals will devour you.

📌 As always, my reviews are 100% voluntary no monetary compensation involved. These thoughts are entirely my own, and yes, I’m still screaming over that ending.

[Paula Sabol (Never Choose Fantasy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Court of Rivals: Their Dragon Rider Book 1 by Lacey Cater Anderson is an exciting fantasy romance. Harper is a healer in a small village, even though she craves more she's satisfied with her lot in life. When she saves the life of a rare male dragon everything changes. He claims her as his rider and takes her to the dragon riders school. All the riders in the school are male, nobles, and have been training their whole lives, and they ride the much smaller female dragons. Needless to say she may have been welcomed by the king but his 3 sons and the other riders don't want her there and are determined to make her leave. Can she withstand their ire and show them a female peasant, from a small village can become a dragon rider or will jealousy and cruelty prove too much?
This book had a bit of a slow start for me but once it got going I didn't want to put it down. Harper is everything I think most women strive to be strong, determined, and resilient. The 3 princes Gareth,Lucian, and Alaric are very different and don't typically get along but seem to find common ground in their dislike of Harper. However they find themselves behaving in a manner they are not proud of. Disappointed to find their antics unable to dissuade Harper from pursuing being a dragon rider, things escalate. Even more disturbing is her relationship with Ebron, her dragon. I couldn't help but laugh as the men thought they could just take him from her, they found out quickly that was unlikely. I enjoyed it when they tried to push her to the back but their dragons would only follow, of course blaming her and not their inability to control their own dragons. This wouldn't be a romance if there was a little hate/love going on especially with Harper being beautiful. I absolutely loved how Harper stood up and had no shame throwing down in d!ck measuring contests often shocking the men. My only complaint was the absolutely unexpected cliffhanger the book ended on, there is no way anyone that reads this book will be unable to resist reading Book 2.
If you enjoy a reverse harem bully romantic fantasy with themes of rags to royalty, enemies to lovers, subverting gender roles, slow burn, and a little spice then Court of Rivals will hit perfect for you! It's a fairly short read and can easily be read in a day or two, the perfect uplifting story if you need to reset from a long, more serious or intense read.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you a fan of Iron Flame but you want all the main characters to be older and for the FMC to have more than one MMC? Then this series is for you!

Obviously the plot is different than Iron Flame but the similarities are dragons, dragon riders and an academy setting. Also, as indicated above it is an RH.

Harper who has been a peasant in a small village her entire life becomes bonded to one of the last few male dragons, Ebron. Ebron and Harper head off to the local academy only one hiccup gets in their way. All the dragon riders in recent memory are both male and nobility and aren't excited to have a female commoner attending the academy or riding a dragon.

With her unique background Harper gains the attention of three Princes, Alaric, Gareth and Lucien and they are determined to teach her that she does not deserve to attend the academy or have a dragon. They proceed to bully her while at the same time warring against their attraction to her. Even though Harper came from humble beginnings, she actually grew up with four brothers, had been trained in combat, and also is a trained healer. So despite all the men at the academy trying to run her off the girl has enough skills to hold her own.

Even though it is clearly going in the direction of RH this is a super slow burn and mostly relationship/character building.

KU Glitch note: From what I can tell this will be at least a three book series, Court of Rivals, Court of Fury and Court of Lust. As of November 22, 2025 the first two books are out. Court of Lust appears to be on schedule to come out in the beginning of January 2026. They are all available on Kindle Unlimited, however they have not been tied together the way you would normally see where you can view that it is a 3 book series and choose to read the next book in the series. You actually have to just search for each book separately.

Tropes: Dragons, Dragon Riders, RH, Light Bullying, Enemies to Lover, Slow Burn, Strong FMC
probably more that I can't think of...enjoy!

[Katelyn Livezey · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIRST book in new series
RH
DRAGONS
Bully Romance

Our FMC, Harper, is happy with her life in Pennyvale. She’s a commoner, but she’s rich in spirit. She helps her mother with healing and has four older brothers and male bff. Fortunately for her, her “betrothal’ to Tesson (whom she despises) doesn’t last long.

One day Harper finds a dragon in need. After spending the night healing the male dragon, Ebron, he tells her that he chooses her as his rider. This is COMPLETELY unheard of since Harper is a commoner and a FEMALE. Because only men can be dragon riders… *cue eye roll*

Harper and Ebron make their way to Stormwrath Academy to begin training. Shockingly when they arrive, they’re met with not-so-surprising welcome. The Female dragons immediately start trying to flirt with Ebron (shocker, I know). But the men? Oh the men are pissed that the ONLY male dragon would not only choose a peasant, but a female one at that.

Cue our charming princes: Gareth, Lucien, and Alaric. Out of all the men, these three ventilated anlphaholes are the most upset at not getting their way. The king allowed Harper to stay and they’re envious that Ebron won’t be theirs. They do everything in their arsenal to try and prove Harper shouldn’t be there and bully her into quitting… but our girl has one strong backbone after being raised with four older brothers! All that bullying starts turning into something else when the three princes realize what a catch Harper is.

Harper soon discovers that when Ebron chooses his female harem, she will have to mate with the riders of them. She attempts to sway Ebron away from the princes dragons, but who knows how that’s going to pan out…. ;)

Just when things are getting good we come to a huge CLIFFHANGER!! During a training exercise gone terribly terribly wrong, Harp now finds herself at the mercy of the bone wyrms and their riders... the Hollowborn.

What happens next?! I’m ready for the next book!!!!

[Mercury · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dragons and immaturity and misogyny, oh my.

I DNFed this at 59%, which, honestly, is way farther than I expected. Because at 3% we were witness to a four paragraph “farting” prank from a 30 year old man in a fantasy book about dragon riders, and I almost DNFed at that point.

But, I really like dragons and there’s simply not enough dragon RH in the world, so I pushed through. Only to find out that every man we met was “a 30yo man with a 14yo immaturity level.” The only human man who didn’t immediately make me roll my eyes was Harper’s fiancé who was absolutely a red flag, but at least he seemed like he had some maturity.

The fart joke at 3% wasn’t the last, and it seems tiny dicks and IBS is the only comedy at play. Add onto the fact that one of the MMCs has relegated Harper to being called “Cock Sucker” as if it were a pet name and it made me feel like I was witnessing a cringy prepubescent tantrum. One of the MMCs mentions multiple times that he is “God’s gift to women” and I’m honestly baffled how we, as readers, are supposed to think these “men” are even slightly attractive.

Harper thinks they’re attractive, because she mentions that often, but there’s no pull for the readers. I feel zero attraction. It’s as dry as a sahara around here and I’m not thirsty in the slightest. Props to Ebron because even though the ~very-rare-and-oh-so-spectacular-male-dragon~ was a true “gift to female dragons” he at least had some decency about it.

I am no stranger to enemies-to-lovers, nor am I against a world with gender-related strife. The issue with this story, is that the author chose to wrote these tropes in an unfortunately juvenile way. I didn’t hate the MMCs because of the “bad things” they did to Harper; I hated them because those “bad things” belonged in a book about high-school, not in a book about 30yo adults fighting in a war of life and death.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story had me gripped from the beginning. We have Harper, a healer, who finds herself tending to a hurt dragon while she is foraging for herbs. But not only does she try to heal him, but she also tries to protect him. The male dragon, Ebron, who has always been a lone dragon, chooses Harper as his rider and plans to take her to the Rider Academy, something she has never heard of before. There are only men who go to the Academy and are riders. But it's the dragon that chooses the rider, not the other way around.

From the get-go, the men don't take kindly to a woman coming to the Academy, especially with a male dragon and the biggest by far. The three princes are going to make her life a living hell, to make sure she quits the Academy, and also so they can claim Ebron as one of theirs. But Harper may be a mere woman, but she certainly puts the princes in their places, and Ebron shows their dragons that he is there to lead, not to follow, and all the female dragons are vying for his attention to become his mate, so they soon fall in line.

I never stopped smiling while reading this book. I loved the sassy, strong-willed, but gentle FMC, who would go toe-to-toe with the princes and not just fall at their feet like other women do. To prove that she can be just as strong and tactical as they are, and to prove to them that her dragon chose wisely.

The Princes soon realise that this woman has a hold on them, whether they want it or not. They may not like her but are drawn to her, and get possessive when anyone shows interest in her. She challenges them frustrates them in more ways than one! Will they ever let a commoner become one of them?

I loved this one so much, I've started reading the next in the series to continue the story, to see how it unfolds.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic new dragon rider romantasy by Lacey Carter Anderson!

Harper is happy with her life in Pennyvale helping her mother out with healing, except for her “betrothed’ Tesson who she despises, until she helps save a male dragon from a bone wyrm. After spending the night healing the male dragon, Ebron, he tells her that he chooses her as his rider – which is unheard of since she isn’t from a noble family nor a male. They take off for Stormwrath Academy to begin training, but when they arrive, they shock everyone else there. The Female dragons immediately start trying to flirt with Ebron, and the men training at the academy are mad that a male dragon chose a WOMAN, and not just any woman but one that is a peasant.

The three princes are the most upset with this new addition to the dragon riders after their father, the king, allowed her to stay, and they do everything they can to prove that she shouldn’t be there and that her dragon should be allowed to be one of theirs. Despite everything that Gareth, Lucien and Alaric do, nothing can stop Harper from showing well during the different trials, and each of the three princes start feeling something more for her as well.

When Harper discovers that when Ebon chooses his female dragon harem that she will ALSO have to mate with their dragon riders, she doesn’t know what to do except try to sway Ebron away from the princes regardless of how she is starting to feel for them. But during a training exercise gone wrong, harper now finds herself in a much worse predicament – at the mercy of the bone wyrms and their riders…. the Hollowborn.

Cant wait to find out what happens next with Harper, Gareth, Lucien, Alaric and their dragons!!

[Steph Whitelaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! Where do I start, very fast paced & gets you so engrossed into the story. This is a bully reverse harem which ends with a cliff hanger, making you want more.

Harper is asked to go in to the forest to collect herbs for her mum, whilst on her journey she meets & helps an injured dragon, Ebron. Ebron thanks Harper for saving his life by telling her she is to be his rider & that she must now go to Stormwrath Academy where she is to train to be a dragon rider.

Female dragon riders are rare, even more so is male dragons. Once Harper lands at the Academy, along comes three unhappy Princes: Alaric, Gareth & Lucien. Who are not impressed that not only has a female dared come to their Academy to train but has also brought with her a male dragon. They believe they should be riding Ebron. Ebron won’t let anyone but Harper be his rider & makes it well known.

Harper is a strong female lead who grew up with four older brothers. The Princes each try different ways to humiliate her so she will leave the academy. Harper handles everything the princes throws at her with hilarity.

Whilst the Princes are plotting against Harper. Ebron is being courted by the Princes female dragons. The Dragons connection to their riders means that there is a lot of sexual tension between Harper & The three Princes.

While I did give this 5 stars I’m not sure how I feel about the princes just yet, I tend to have a favourite but still getting to know each of them. Looking forward to the next book & see where this story goes 😊

[Samantha Silensky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the enemies to lovers trope, but I hope the love interests so far in this book really end up groveling. They’ve got quite a bit to make up for. The author really penned the whole “holier than thou” snottiness of the lords and princes. But also combined it with a way of almost understanding why they’re acting this way. That’s not to say it’s justified. Especially with the effort Harper has put in to prove herself and try and do things more their way, or the way they say it should be done. Even more so since they’re not doing much to help her actually learn those things.
I believe the king is in on the “joke” of what happens when male dragons choose their mates, and knows exactly what’s being hinted at happening, and is banking on it. With that being said my favorite prince to watch unravel and internally war with themselves so far has been Gareth. It definitely feels like he’s going to be the first prince to break and give into what everyone is feeling building. I’m hoping the next book gives us more insights on the other 2 brothers. Alaric especially, with the aftermath of the training circle fight.
Part of me also wants Roland to stop being a coward and get himself thrown into the possibility of being a love interest. But only if he does some big show of standing by Harper or standing up to the guys. I’ve formed a complicated opinion about him, and I’m still not sure which way I’m leaning.
I’m super excited for the next book, and with the ending we got, I’m (impatiently) waiting with grabby hands.

[Cassandra James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Court of Rivals by Lacey Carter Anderson is a captivating fantasy that immerses readers in a richly imagined world filled with political intrigue, magic, and complex characters. It is set in a realm where the balance of power hangs by a thread, the story follows the Harper as she navigates the treacherous waters of court politics while grappling with her own personal struggles.
Anderson's writing is both lyrical and accessible, painting vivid imagery that brings the setting and characters to life. The character development is standout, as each individual is layered with their own motivations, flaws, and growth arcs, making them feel real and relatable.
The romance elements in "Court of Rivals" add an intriguing layer to the plot without overshadowing the primary narrative. It’s a delicate balance that Anderson strikes well, allowing for a romantic subplot that enhances rather than detracts from the overarching themes of loyalty, betrayal, and ambition. Themes of power dynamics and the moral ambiguities of leadership are thoughtfully explored, prompting readers to reflect on the complexities of governance and personal ambition. The rivalries among characters are palpable, creating a tension that propels the story forward. With its compelling plot, multifaceted characters, and a richly developed world, Lacey Carter Anderson has created a memorable addition to the genre that leaves readers eager for the next installment.

[Vr · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would rate this 0 stars if I could. I absolutely cannot comprehend why this book is so highly rated. Reasons why I hated this book:

A) The MMCs are all childish, privileged, and misogynistic, and the FMC is, of course, the most beautiful woman any of them has ever seen. She's also a skilled healer trained as an assassin, yet somehow, she is deemed unworthy of the dragon whose life she saved.

B) There are several misused words throughout the book. For example, "If our laws were fair and good, Harper would never be allowed to wear such form-fitting clothes in front of a group of viral and aroused men." Why are the men described as "viral"? What disease do they have? 🤣 I get that the author probably wanted to use the word "virile", but this error occurs in just the first few chapters of the book.
Another example: "A few men climb robes." You mean ropes? How was this ever missed in editing???

C) One of the MMCs physically assaults her by hitting her in the face. I’ve read bully romances before, but this crosses a line. Spilling food, jeering, leering, or tripping someone does not compare to physical abuse. This guy is supposed to be one of her love interests. In the same chapter, he admires her beauty, then considers her unworthy of her dragon and ends the chapter by punching her in the face.

I'm so out. This is one of the worst "romances" I've ever had the misfortune of coming across.

[Darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love a story about dragons and battles. This world that Lacey Carter. Andersen has created is magnificent. We have one sassy, strong, and caring lady who stumbles on an injured dragon. Being who she is she feels the need to save the dragon. I absolutely loved Ebron, the dragon, and his arrogance that comes to him naturally. His relationship with Harper will have you smiling and laughing at times. Harper is one that doesn’t give up and keeps moving forward no matter what has been thrown at her. Then we meet the dragon riders and let me say I was not impressed as they think we should be. Now, that is not saying the story was written bad, no never, I am saying that they have an arrogance that doesn’t come off charming, as they were written to be. They seem to think the world centers around them. One thing that does stand out is that they show a side to themselves every now and then. The story is packed with action, drama and suspense. It pulled me in and kept me glued to it. The journey we take with Harper is one that I am falling in love with. The story is extremely well written and developed. The flow of the story pulls you in this amazing world. Then we get to the end and oh my goodness does it end in a major cliffhanger. I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens next and honestly if I could give more stars I would.

[Mellissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dragons! Need I say more?! Probably not but I will!
Harper is betrothed to the villages Lords son and she is trying everything she can to make him get bored of her, because if she makes him mad his father could make her families life miserable!
With the betrothal party coming up because he's tired of waiting, she goes to the forest to pick herbs for her and her mother's healing calves, and to just forget all about that pompous, arrogant, a hole! When she comes across a hurt dragon about to be killed by a bone wyrm!! She does everything in her power to scare that bone wyrm off and save this injured dragon!
After the enemy dissappears he talks to her in her mind! And she is shocked not only can he talk in her mind but it's a he!! Male dragons are extremely rare and he has chosen her as his rider!!
Now off to the Academy they go to learn to work togther
But it's not as glamorous as they thought it would be!! Not only is she the only female dragon rider but also the only one with a male dragon!!
All the men tey everything to get her to leave so they can claim the rare male dragon for themselves, but theyre in for a surprise when she not only is food but betrer than them!!!
Lived this book!! Once I started i could not put it down!!! Once again Lacey Carter Andersen has written aworld im obsessed with!! cannot wait for book 2!!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

War college, dragon riders, a strong female lead, and bully romance are all tropes in Lacey Carter Andersen's Court of Rivals. Normally, I stay away from bully romances, they just aren't my thing, but I can’t say no to Lacey. I'm so glad I didn't.


The story was incredible, but it pissed me off. Most of the males, including the leads, are jerks, and the blatant sexism at every turn made me want to scream. The princes thought they were hot stuff, but they weren't. Well, technically, they were, looks-wise, but you know what I mean. They were walking red flags (and not in a good way) that tortured Harper constantly. On the bright side, Harper didn't give as good as she got, she gave it better. Harper is brave, intelligent, and, most of all, capable. I lived for her witty quips. Every time she squared off with a prince, she won in spectacular fashion, and they knew it. Ha!


Most of the book was the back-and-forth between Harper and the guys. Ebron, her dragon, was something else. I liked how bonded he and Harper were. He wasn't just her dragon, they were true partners. One thing is for sure: Harper is certainly shaking things up. Lacey has a nice little twist on dragons and their riders. It's the only way I can see things moving forward with Harper and the princes. The end left me gasping. I'm dying to know what's going to happen next.