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Healer of Dragons #1
A Hearthful of Hatchlings
A grumpy hermit healer, the boy who will do anything to make her smile, and the injured baby dragons they care for.After being blamed for a tragedy she couldn't prevent, healer Celia Carrington fled to the mountains and built a life caring for injured baby dragons. Since no one believes dragons exist, her world is warm, cozy, and quiet--until it's no longer a secret.
When shopkeeper Darian Emberlin finds the baby dragon hidden in Celia's shopping basket, his chivalry--and curiosity--insist he offer to help her. Celia may say she wants him to leave her and the hatchlings in peace, though he suspects he's just too much for her grumpy heart...but that was before they discovered he could understand the dragons.
As Celia and Darian care for the dragons, their growing bond kindles something neither expected--hope. But in a world where magic is illegal and dragons are merely a legend, can the bond they forge withstand the flames?
A HEARTHFUL OF HATCHLINGS is the first in the HEALER OF DRAGONS cozy fantasy romance series, with fated mates, dragon riding, and a reverse grumpy sunshine romance with a golden retriever man and the strong woman determined to ignore the fact that he falls first.
When shopkeeper Darian Emberlin finds the baby dragon hidden in Celia's shopping basket, his chivalry--and curiosity--insist he offer to help her. Celia may say she wants him to leave her and the hatchlings in peace, though he suspects he's just too much for her grumpy heart...but that was before they discovered he could understand the dragons.
As Celia and Darian care for the dragons, their growing bond kindles something neither expected--hope. But in a world where magic is illegal and dragons are merely a legend, can the bond they forge withstand the flames?
A HEARTHFUL OF HATCHLINGS is the first in the HEALER OF DRAGONS cozy fantasy romance series, with fated mates, dragon riding, and a reverse grumpy sunshine romance with a golden retriever man and the strong woman determined to ignore the fact that he falls first.
126 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 2, 2026
About the author
Gabrielle Landi
20 books247 followersGabrielle Landi lives in Southern Indiana with her husband and children and has a soft spot for every stray cat that ends up on her front porch. When she’s not writing, she spends her time chasing children, wishing there was more coffee, and eating chocolate like it’s her job. If she had to write her own love story in tropes, it would include second chance romance and a secret relationship, and would be entirely unbelievable.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
July 13, 2026
3 stars ⭐️ Clean Fiction - Fantasy (with magic/magical creatures)
The MMC was a little…overbearing at first. Very eager and wanting to follow the FMC. Usually I prefer the golden retriever male main character, but I found him to be a little to much as first. When I found out he was only 21 (and thus five years younger than her), I went, “ah, that makes sense now.” 😅 I didn’t quite understand why FMC would allow him to find out about the baby dragons or help her with them, but maybe it was because deep down she missed being with another human? I’m not sure, but it felt a little forced for the sake of the plot which is how I also felt about the romance starting to developed between them.
But you know what? Ignoring all of those tiny nitpicks, let’s move into the real stars of the books: the baby dragons. They were adorable and completely the selling point of this series to me. 😂 Very cute and mischievous. The dragon hatching scenes reminded me of how turtles hatch from their shells. I wish there had been a bit more in regards to them and about other kinds of dragons. I wanted more info on all of that and just the world building in general.
There was a few cameos of a few couples from the author’s other series (like the couple from “Once Upon a Cat”), which was a cute bonus because I was wondering if this trilogy would be set in the same world. It is and it was a cute little nod to those characters. It also shows hints to the next book in that series, “Once Upon a Goat”. Because I haven’t read the Goldilocks retelling (“Once Upon a Bear”) or the Thumbelina retelling (“A Taste of Tea and Tenderness”), I think there were some references or comments that might have been lost on me, though. So maybe make sure you’ve read the author’s previous books to be able to catch all the details about the previous couples. It’s wasn’t super noticeable that you have to read them first, but there were a couple scenes that I felt like an interloper and left out of the conversation because I didn’t know what they were referring to.
Some things were teased or vaguely referenced which, I assume, will be discussed more and more information found out about a certain character’s family background and abilities in the rest of the series. I don’t feel like I see (or read) a lot of fantasy books where the whole trilogy is about the same couple, so that excites me about this trilogy. After the slight cliffhanger, I’m curious about what will happen next and be revealed. I do think this book could have been stretched out a bit as it felt like a speed run of the plot, but I’m looking forward to continuing the series and I feel like it will be a good one to binge read especially.
Main Content-
Magic + Spiritual-
Magic is illegal in this book’s world; A character is able to talk to and understand the baby dragons (this is a very rare ability that is connected to the character’s family background).
Darian’s uncle comments about Darian’s “destiny” coming to him (three times mentioned).
Celia used to heal humans (implied with herbs), but no longer does after the loss of a loved one.
A couple comments about someone being “wonderfully made”.
Mentions of magic, it being illegal, & people being after dragons or their eggs for power; A mention of the Almighty; A mention of being blessed; A mention of pixies.
Language + Negative-
No language stronger than ‘stupid’; Some eye rolling & sarcasm.
Mentions of deaths & grief (including Celia for her late fiancé & Darian’s mother who passed when he was a baby); Mentions of pain & injured baby dragons (nothing super serious nor detailed); Mentions of fires; A couple mentions of rumors; A mention of jealousy.
Sexual/Romance-
1 forehead kiss.
Seeing a couple share a couple kisses.
Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Sparks, & Nearness (up to a few sentences); Noticing & Staring (up to a couple sentences); Yearning to be more than friends.
Darian doesn’t know anything about his biological father besides his last name.
Mentions of a couple being “mates” (according to a dragon); A mention of a woman sneaking away to meet a man (and later becoming pregnant); A mention of crushes; A mention of blushes.
The MMC was a little…overbearing at first. Very eager and wanting to follow the FMC. Usually I prefer the golden retriever male main character, but I found him to be a little to much as first. When I found out he was only 21 (and thus five years younger than her), I went, “ah, that makes sense now.” 😅 I didn’t quite understand why FMC would allow him to find out about the baby dragons or help her with them, but maybe it was because deep down she missed being with another human? I’m not sure, but it felt a little forced for the sake of the plot which is how I also felt about the romance starting to developed between them.
But you know what? Ignoring all of those tiny nitpicks, let’s move into the real stars of the books: the baby dragons. They were adorable and completely the selling point of this series to me. 😂 Very cute and mischievous. The dragon hatching scenes reminded me of how turtles hatch from their shells. I wish there had been a bit more in regards to them and about other kinds of dragons. I wanted more info on all of that and just the world building in general.
There was a few cameos of a few couples from the author’s other series (like the couple from “Once Upon a Cat”), which was a cute bonus because I was wondering if this trilogy would be set in the same world. It is and it was a cute little nod to those characters. It also shows hints to the next book in that series, “Once Upon a Goat”. Because I haven’t read the Goldilocks retelling (“Once Upon a Bear”) or the Thumbelina retelling (“A Taste of Tea and Tenderness”), I think there were some references or comments that might have been lost on me, though. So maybe make sure you’ve read the author’s previous books to be able to catch all the details about the previous couples. It’s wasn’t super noticeable that you have to read them first, but there were a couple scenes that I felt like an interloper and left out of the conversation because I didn’t know what they were referring to.
Some things were teased or vaguely referenced which, I assume, will be discussed more and more information found out about a certain character’s family background and abilities in the rest of the series. I don’t feel like I see (or read) a lot of fantasy books where the whole trilogy is about the same couple, so that excites me about this trilogy. After the slight cliffhanger, I’m curious about what will happen next and be revealed. I do think this book could have been stretched out a bit as it felt like a speed run of the plot, but I’m looking forward to continuing the series and I feel like it will be a good one to binge read especially.
Main Content-
Magic + Spiritual-
Magic is illegal in this book’s world; A character is able to talk to and understand the baby dragons (this is a very rare ability that is connected to the character’s family background).
Darian’s uncle comments about Darian’s “destiny” coming to him (three times mentioned).
Celia used to heal humans (implied with herbs), but no longer does after the loss of a loved one.
A couple comments about someone being “wonderfully made”.
Mentions of magic, it being illegal, & people being after dragons or their eggs for power; A mention of the Almighty; A mention of being blessed; A mention of pixies.
Language + Negative-
No language stronger than ‘stupid’; Some eye rolling & sarcasm.
Mentions of deaths & grief (including Celia for her late fiancé & Darian’s mother who passed when he was a baby); Mentions of pain & injured baby dragons (nothing super serious nor detailed); Mentions of fires; A couple mentions of rumors; A mention of jealousy.
Sexual/Romance-
1 forehead kiss.
Seeing a couple share a couple kisses.
Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Sparks, & Nearness (up to a few sentences); Noticing & Staring (up to a couple sentences); Yearning to be more than friends.
Darian doesn’t know anything about his biological father besides his last name.
Mentions of a couple being “mates” (according to a dragon); A mention of a woman sneaking away to meet a man (and later becoming pregnant); A mention of crushes; A mention of blushes.
June 17, 2026
Review of Advanced Reader Copy
Publication date~ July 2, 2026
OH MY GOODNESS!!! 4.5 stars!
A Hearthful of Hatchlings was so adorably sweet. Darian and Celia and baby dragons… my heart 💗 The writing brought these beautiful characters to life so vibrantly. Full of heart, hope, and possibilities, this is a wonderful start to the Healer of Dragons series, woven into the world of Galamere.
Gabrielle Landi’s novels are like warm cups of tea and a cozy blanket, and I will happily read anything by her :) I wholeheartedly adored this story and eagerly await the next (but also… how I could it just end like that?! The second in series is an absolute need!)
Highly recommend if you enjoy a whimsical, clean (no spice or swearing!), swoony, heartfelt, grumpy fmc + sunshine mmc, reverse age gap, and dragon-filled read!
Happy reading :)
Thank you to Gabrielle Landi for providing this e-ARC of A Hearthful of Hatchlings in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Publication date~ July 2, 2026
OH MY GOODNESS!!! 4.5 stars!
A Hearthful of Hatchlings was so adorably sweet. Darian and Celia and baby dragons… my heart 💗 The writing brought these beautiful characters to life so vibrantly. Full of heart, hope, and possibilities, this is a wonderful start to the Healer of Dragons series, woven into the world of Galamere.
Gabrielle Landi’s novels are like warm cups of tea and a cozy blanket, and I will happily read anything by her :) I wholeheartedly adored this story and eagerly await the next (but also… how I could it just end like that?! The second in series is an absolute need!)
Highly recommend if you enjoy a whimsical, clean (no spice or swearing!), swoony, heartfelt, grumpy fmc + sunshine mmc, reverse age gap, and dragon-filled read!
Happy reading :)
Thank you to Gabrielle Landi for providing this e-ARC of A Hearthful of Hatchlings in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
June 16, 2026
I love Cozy Fantasy. I love dragons. I love sweet romances that barely make it to a kiss. Actually I love romance in all my stories.
This was about a grumpy woman who lives by herself in a meadow, close to the mountains where the dragons live. She is a healer, but no longer heals people. She is near the dragon’s nesting grounds and she watches for the dragon’s to hatch and if there is any dragon too ill to leave the nest, and go to the mountains with its other hatchlings, she takes it or them home to heal them until they are ready to go off to the mountains.
She meets a young man at the store who finds out she has a baby dragon. He wants to come see the other three she has at home. She doesn’t know why, but she says okay. Little does she know, or he for that matter, this young man is special and important to the dragons.
This is such a sweet story. It’s funny, emotional and leaves you with a warm, satisfied feeling. A feel good story for sure! I love these stories, they are great in between darker stories. Highly recommended for all you cozy fantasy lovers with a bit of sweet romance!!
This was about a grumpy woman who lives by herself in a meadow, close to the mountains where the dragons live. She is a healer, but no longer heals people. She is near the dragon’s nesting grounds and she watches for the dragon’s to hatch and if there is any dragon too ill to leave the nest, and go to the mountains with its other hatchlings, she takes it or them home to heal them until they are ready to go off to the mountains.
She meets a young man at the store who finds out she has a baby dragon. He wants to come see the other three she has at home. She doesn’t know why, but she says okay. Little does she know, or he for that matter, this young man is special and important to the dragons.
This is such a sweet story. It’s funny, emotional and leaves you with a warm, satisfied feeling. A feel good story for sure! I love these stories, they are great in between darker stories. Highly recommended for all you cozy fantasy lovers with a bit of sweet romance!!
July 3, 2026
age rating: 12+
spice: none
language: none
unfortunately, my biggest issue was the writing in this. the world-building felt very undeveloped, and left me with more questions than anything. why was celia faulted for something she couldn’t prevent? why was magic frowned upon and banned? the dialogue felt immature and unnatural, and constantly pulled me out of the story. it just didn’t flow, and i kept noticing phrases being repeated over and over again. the author seemed to favor “telling” rather than “showing.”
the baby dragons were fun aspects of the story, and so so cute. celia constantly worrying about the well-being of her house made me giggle.
the romance would’ve been sweet—golden retriever mmc x black cat fmc—but again, the dialogue kept pulling me out.
spice: none
language: none
unfortunately, my biggest issue was the writing in this. the world-building felt very undeveloped, and left me with more questions than anything. why was celia faulted for something she couldn’t prevent? why was magic frowned upon and banned? the dialogue felt immature and unnatural, and constantly pulled me out of the story. it just didn’t flow, and i kept noticing phrases being repeated over and over again. the author seemed to favor “telling” rather than “showing.”
the baby dragons were fun aspects of the story, and so so cute. celia constantly worrying about the well-being of her house made me giggle.
the romance would’ve been sweet—golden retriever mmc x black cat fmc—but again, the dialogue kept pulling me out.
June 24, 2026
3⭐️
This was a sweet, charming read that didn’t quite give me everything I wanted but was still a good time. I was promised adorable baby dragon shenanigans and that was definitely delivered, so I can’t say I’m disappointed.
I liked that the story was told in dual POV. Both the FMC and MMC were entertaining to read about - though I do wish their relationship hadn’t progressed quite so quickly. There were hints that there might be ongoing plot reasons for why they fell for one another so quickly, but it still felt a bit too rushed. Since it’s a pretty short book, I know that might be partially inevitable, but I think if the story had taken place over a longer period of time while still being the same length it would’ve helped me enjoy the romance more.
The baby dragons were of course the stars of the show. I absolutely adored them. I do wish I’d gotten a bit more information on what the dragons were/how they worked (there were a couple of vague references to them being magic, but no explanation as to what exactly that means in the context of the story’s world). But I’m hoping we might get to learn more about them as the series progresses.
The world-building felt a little bit flat. There were references to magic and that it had been banned, but no any examples or descriptions of how the magic system works. Is magic something anyone can learn to use? Is it something certain people are born with and have to learn to control or hide? What are its limits or costs? Why was it banned? I’ve got no clue. I know this is the first book in a series, and that the author has written previous books set in the same world, so it’s possible some of those details are answered there or will be in future installments. But I do wish there’d been a few more world-building details in this book for readers like me who start with this series.
TL;DR: This is a good choice if you’re looking for something short, sweet, and fluffy. Especially if you’ve always fantasized about owning your own baby dragon(s). But if you’re looking for something more detailed/in-depth to sink your teeth into, it might fall a little short.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the author. No review was required in order to receive the eARC, and all thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.
This was a sweet, charming read that didn’t quite give me everything I wanted but was still a good time. I was promised adorable baby dragon shenanigans and that was definitely delivered, so I can’t say I’m disappointed.
I liked that the story was told in dual POV. Both the FMC and MMC were entertaining to read about - though I do wish their relationship hadn’t progressed quite so quickly. There were hints that there might be ongoing plot reasons for why they fell for one another so quickly, but it still felt a bit too rushed. Since it’s a pretty short book, I know that might be partially inevitable, but I think if the story had taken place over a longer period of time while still being the same length it would’ve helped me enjoy the romance more.
The baby dragons were of course the stars of the show. I absolutely adored them. I do wish I’d gotten a bit more information on what the dragons were/how they worked (there were a couple of vague references to them being magic, but no explanation as to what exactly that means in the context of the story’s world). But I’m hoping we might get to learn more about them as the series progresses.
The world-building felt a little bit flat. There were references to magic and that it had been banned, but no any examples or descriptions of how the magic system works. Is magic something anyone can learn to use? Is it something certain people are born with and have to learn to control or hide? What are its limits or costs? Why was it banned? I’ve got no clue. I know this is the first book in a series, and that the author has written previous books set in the same world, so it’s possible some of those details are answered there or will be in future installments. But I do wish there’d been a few more world-building details in this book for readers like me who start with this series.
TL;DR: This is a good choice if you’re looking for something short, sweet, and fluffy. Especially if you’ve always fantasized about owning your own baby dragon(s). But if you’re looking for something more detailed/in-depth to sink your teeth into, it might fall a little short.
Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the author. No review was required in order to receive the eARC, and all thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.
July 2, 2026
I received an advanced review copy from the author. This review is my honest opinion.
Positives:
AHHH BABY DRAGONS AND CUTENESS!!!!!!!
This book is an absolute masterpiece! The dragons are adorable and the romance is so cute! I love that it didn’t progress super fast, I like that Celia spent time getting to know the guy and that he didn’t push her. I love how naturally they both came into each other’s worlds.
The baby dragons are so amazing! I absolutely adore them and love that they are intelligent. They definitely reminded me of toddlers XD Sod was so funny! And I loved hearing the dragon’s snarky conversations.
I am so intriuged by the MMC, I really need to know how he has that ability, and why what happened at the end of the book happened.
IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THIS BOOK YOU NEED TOO!!!!!! This book is sweet and cozy and perfectly bingeable. I cannot recommend it enough.
Negatives:
The only negative is that the next book in the series isn’t out already!!! XDXD
Content:
Romance: Very Sweet, hand holding.
Cussing: None
Violence/Gore: None
Positives:
AHHH BABY DRAGONS AND CUTENESS!!!!!!!
This book is an absolute masterpiece! The dragons are adorable and the romance is so cute! I love that it didn’t progress super fast, I like that Celia spent time getting to know the guy and that he didn’t push her. I love how naturally they both came into each other’s worlds.
The baby dragons are so amazing! I absolutely adore them and love that they are intelligent. They definitely reminded me of toddlers XD Sod was so funny! And I loved hearing the dragon’s snarky conversations.
I am so intriuged by the MMC, I really need to know how he has that ability, and why what happened at the end of the book happened.
IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THIS BOOK YOU NEED TOO!!!!!! This book is sweet and cozy and perfectly bingeable. I cannot recommend it enough.
Negatives:
The only negative is that the next book in the series isn’t out already!!! XDXD
Content:
Romance: Very Sweet, hand holding.
Cussing: None
Violence/Gore: None
June 30, 2026
I absolutely loved this book!
I absolutely loved Flame, Spark, Sizzle, Sod, and of course Breeze. Those little stinkers were so sweet and cute but what baby dragons aren’t.
Celia and Darian are such a sweet pair. I can’t wait to find out more about their story and more about Darian and what exactly he can do and why. I loved watching them discover all these new things together.
While this book is a standalone series (standalone as in you can start with this series if you are new to her books) it is interconnected with quite a few of her other books and series.
I love Gabrielle’s books because they are interconnected so we always get to see characters from her other books again. I always look forward to it because I never truly have to say goodbye knowing I will likely run into them in another book again.
Gabrielle that ending how could you!! I need the next book asap! I read this book as an arc.
I absolutely loved Flame, Spark, Sizzle, Sod, and of course Breeze. Those little stinkers were so sweet and cute but what baby dragons aren’t.
Celia and Darian are such a sweet pair. I can’t wait to find out more about their story and more about Darian and what exactly he can do and why. I loved watching them discover all these new things together.
While this book is a standalone series (standalone as in you can start with this series if you are new to her books) it is interconnected with quite a few of her other books and series.
I love Gabrielle’s books because they are interconnected so we always get to see characters from her other books again. I always look forward to it because I never truly have to say goodbye knowing I will likely run into them in another book again.
Gabrielle that ending how could you!! I need the next book asap! I read this book as an arc.
July 14, 2026
This is an adorable, cozy, low stakes tale for anyone who loves baby dragons. The characters are sensible, sweet, and have a bit of backstory to make them interesting. I usually read romantasy where the world is always on the edge of ending...and this was not that. It's a deliciously light read that is perfect for when you need a little less drama in your life.
July 3, 2026
This was a cute, fun, and quick read. I really enjoyed it. I liked that it featured the reverse grumpy-sunshine trope. It was a lot of fun.
I thought the baby dragons were absolutely adorable. They were my favorite part of the book.
Celia was a bit of a grump, but I admired her devotion to the dragons. And the more I got to know her, the more likable she became. Darian was sweet, helpful, and curious about the dragons. I enjoyed seeing the trust between them grow.
With the way this story ended, the next book can’t come out soon enough! I recommend it to anyone who enjoys sweet and cozy fantasy.
I received a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.
I thought the baby dragons were absolutely adorable. They were my favorite part of the book.
Celia was a bit of a grump, but I admired her devotion to the dragons. And the more I got to know her, the more likable she became. Darian was sweet, helpful, and curious about the dragons. I enjoyed seeing the trust between them grow.
With the way this story ended, the next book can’t come out soon enough! I recommend it to anyone who enjoys sweet and cozy fantasy.
I received a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.
August 9, 2026
This book was sweet and adorable...but ends on a cliffhanger! Like a big one! It was so fun to be back in Gabrielle's whimsical fairy tale worlds. I enjoy it and this story was a quick read. Celia takes care of injured dragons and Darian is instantly smitten with her. As they grow closer and become friends, Celia realizes Darian can talk to the dragons. He helps her as she works to heal the dragons and then send them back to their families. As her favorite three dragons finally leave, Celia and Darian admit their feelings, just in time for a cliffhanger!
July 9, 2026
I loved how cozy this was! It has great golden retriever/black cat vibes between Darian and Celia. She’s such a grump and he is all dazzling sunshine, but they work so well together. So it’s very sweet watching them grow to know one another and bond over their tiny dragons! The dragons are the best!! And after that ending, I need the next book!
Review of advance copy received from Author
2.4/5 stars-- a lot of this might of ended up being an "it's not you, it's me" moment, but there were certain things i just couldn't get around that dampened my enjoyment of this cozy novella. :/ what i WILL say though, is i literally read this all in a day, so it's a very quick, compelling little read! your mileage may vary :)
Plot: 3/5 - overall i liked the idea of this plot! i know that inherently a cozy story will have less conflict but i did anticipate just a little bit more of *something* going on before the very end... (i actually thought one of the cameos we got was going to prove to be a conflict later in the book, but then i just realized no, it's a preview for an upcoming release lol). i thought the elements that were introduced were good (some mystery with darian's family) but found the development of the romance to not really be my taste- but we'll get to that.
Characters: 2/5 - i'm allllll for a cinnamon roll, golden retriever mmc and lowkey i was gooped and gagged in the best way when we were informed about their age gap. there were a few times when i found the writing of darian to be a little interesting (like are we implying that he has like... fantasy adhd? all he has ever done is show up and help people. my guy's love language is acts of service and for some reason that's given him a complex about being "too much"?? i need everyone to give him a break). celia i do have more issues with because she's written to be this closed-off "spinster"/hermit type character, and yet we BARELY explore why she is that way or get the time on page to see her developing out of that mindset. oh but shout out to my personal favorite dragon, sod. i feel like sod is probably not getting enough love and respect compared to the fire dragons to i just want to pour one out for our baby boy. your father raised you well.
Pacing: 2/5 - again, i know this is a novella and so things are naturally going to be faster paced but this was just way too breezy for me. like, if the first part was going to be this short then i don't want as many scenes of healing and playing tag with dragons, i want to read about the dynamic between our two leads changing in real time because oh my god they literally knew each other for a fortnight y'all. and i get it, fated mates and everything, but it would have meant more to me to see celia wrapping her mind around the idea of companionship and darian trying to show affection in ways she was comfortable with instead of being like "ten days later, here's where things stood". that's a rough time jump for me personally, for such a short time period of a narrative.
Writing: 3/5 - there were definitely some sweet and funny parts, but also parts that had me going ??? like celia i can't believe you would ever say sod is an unoriginal name when you named a fire dragon SPARK!! also to be like ugh i can't imagine that a man who would ever want to live in the woods with me, a woman who lives with a bunch of dragons :( like girl let's try some logic on for size. OR THE ONE TIME DARIAN JUST CASUALLY TOLD STRANGERS THAT THEY HAVE DRAGONS AFTER IMMEDIATELY LEAVING BREAKFAST DISCUSSING HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO PROTECT THE SECRET OF THE DRAGONS?? i knew he was a sweet summer child but i didn't think he was as dumb as a sack of hammers, what was that actually about dude?? darian explain yourself right now sir- i'm waiting. just inconsistencies like these that had me truly baffled during the reading experience and took me out of it.
Enjoyment: 2/5 - and womp there it is. such a mixed bag for me, unfortunately. i did also learn that the word "mates" in fact gives me the ick, which is no fault of this book but just something i had to learn about myself and now have to contend with for who knows how many future reads. we definitely left the novella on a high note, so my final impression was positive (and actually all of the character cameos did make me more intrigued about the galamere chronicles, ironically haha) but a strong finale couldn't overcome all of my gripes throughout. :'(
thank you to gabrielle landi for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!
Plot: 3/5 - overall i liked the idea of this plot! i know that inherently a cozy story will have less conflict but i did anticipate just a little bit more of *something* going on before the very end... (i actually thought one of the cameos we got was going to prove to be a conflict later in the book, but then i just realized no, it's a preview for an upcoming release lol). i thought the elements that were introduced were good (some mystery with darian's family) but found the development of the romance to not really be my taste- but we'll get to that.
Characters: 2/5 - i'm allllll for a cinnamon roll, golden retriever mmc and lowkey i was gooped and gagged in the best way when we were informed about their age gap. there were a few times when i found the writing of darian to be a little interesting (like are we implying that he has like... fantasy adhd? all he has ever done is show up and help people. my guy's love language is acts of service and for some reason that's given him a complex about being "too much"?? i need everyone to give him a break). celia i do have more issues with because she's written to be this closed-off "spinster"/hermit type character, and yet we BARELY explore why she is that way or get the time on page to see her developing out of that mindset. oh but shout out to my personal favorite dragon, sod. i feel like sod is probably not getting enough love and respect compared to the fire dragons to i just want to pour one out for our baby boy. your father raised you well.
Pacing: 2/5 - again, i know this is a novella and so things are naturally going to be faster paced but this was just way too breezy for me. like, if the first part was going to be this short then i don't want as many scenes of healing and playing tag with dragons, i want to read about the dynamic between our two leads changing in real time because oh my god they literally knew each other for a fortnight y'all. and i get it, fated mates and everything, but it would have meant more to me to see celia wrapping her mind around the idea of companionship and darian trying to show affection in ways she was comfortable with instead of being like "ten days later, here's where things stood". that's a rough time jump for me personally, for such a short time period of a narrative.
Writing: 3/5 - there were definitely some sweet and funny parts, but also parts that had me going ??? like celia i can't believe you would ever say sod is an unoriginal name when you named a fire dragon SPARK!! also to be like ugh i can't imagine that a man who would ever want to live in the woods with me, a woman who lives with a bunch of dragons :( like girl let's try some logic on for size. OR THE ONE TIME DARIAN JUST CASUALLY TOLD STRANGERS THAT THEY HAVE DRAGONS AFTER IMMEDIATELY LEAVING BREAKFAST DISCUSSING HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO PROTECT THE SECRET OF THE DRAGONS?? i knew he was a sweet summer child but i didn't think he was as dumb as a sack of hammers, what was that actually about dude?? darian explain yourself right now sir- i'm waiting. just inconsistencies like these that had me truly baffled during the reading experience and took me out of it.
Enjoyment: 2/5 - and womp there it is. such a mixed bag for me, unfortunately. i did also learn that the word "mates" in fact gives me the ick, which is no fault of this book but just something i had to learn about myself and now have to contend with for who knows how many future reads. we definitely left the novella on a high note, so my final impression was positive (and actually all of the character cameos did make me more intrigued about the galamere chronicles, ironically haha) but a strong finale couldn't overcome all of my gripes throughout. :'(
thank you to gabrielle landi for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Received an Advanced Reader Copy
I just wanted to take a minute to say that this book is absolutely amazing! Thanks so much for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read! I am so glad that this is just book 1, and there will be more books in this series to read because I just loved hearing about all of the different lore.
I always love reading cozy fantasy/fantasy retellings and reading books about magical creatures (particularly dragons.) So being able to get this book and read a story that included all three of my favorite genres was just like a dream come true.
The name Hearthful of Hatchlings was sooo cute (and I loved how there was even a part in the book where the title of the book was referenced.
As always with romances, I loved seeing the connection between the two main characters grow deeper and evolve over time, and it felt super special to be able to witness their connection throughout the book.
Additionally, some of my favorite parts in the story were when his uncles were trying to set the two main characters up together but she had no interest in anything but studying the dragons. As seen in this quote "Can you tell they're trying to set us up?" Darian whispered with a furtive glance at them.
Celia let out a grunt. "I have no interest," she said. "I simply want to know more about the dragons."
Then seeing her denial in admitting their relationship and her growing feelings. As seen here “it is absolutely ridiculous that I keep looking to see if he's here or
not. He has a life, you know, outside of us. Just because you four miss him too doesn't mean he should
drop everything in his life and come by us.”
As well as when the mmc would join in playing with the young dragons as I thought that was very cute.
Then when Darien helped address some of the insecurities that Celia was facing and reassured her that she was worthy and that she did matter, and that she didn’t have to do everything alone if she didn’t want to. Seen here "This is so unlike me," she said, looking up at him through her tears.
"Well, you've had a lot of change recently," Darian
pointed out.
"Found out you know someone who could talk to dragons, and it turned out he's an irritating fellow who won't leave you in peace. You've had three dragons stick around longer than you've ever had anyone stay before, and you realized for the first time since you left where you came from, you're not alone."
And in return how she helped him when he had his own difficulties. “‘I'll have you know," he said,
"that I am good at doing lots of things that involve me staying in one place.
"How many of them involve doing lots of differ-
ent tasks?"
Darian didn't respond. She was right.
"I don't do it on purpose," he mumbled.
"It doesn't mean something's wrong with you,"
Celia said quietly. "It just means that your mind works differently than mine, and you need more things happening than I do. It doesn't mean you're broken—it just means things are different, and that's okay. Everyone is different.”
I also liked the banter between her and Darien as I thought that they had really good chemistry together.
"He says he can understand you too," Darian told Celia. "You just can't understand them. You don't have their language."
"Of course, I don't have their language," Celia said, letting her frustration leak out in sarcasm, "because I'm a human. What are you—part dragon?"
Finally, I’m glad that overtime she started being able to be vulnerable with him and start to open up to him and express her feelings as I think that was a really important part in both their relationship and the development of her as a character.
I just wanted to take a minute to say that this book is absolutely amazing! Thanks so much for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read! I am so glad that this is just book 1, and there will be more books in this series to read because I just loved hearing about all of the different lore.
I always love reading cozy fantasy/fantasy retellings and reading books about magical creatures (particularly dragons.) So being able to get this book and read a story that included all three of my favorite genres was just like a dream come true.
The name Hearthful of Hatchlings was sooo cute (and I loved how there was even a part in the book where the title of the book was referenced.
As always with romances, I loved seeing the connection between the two main characters grow deeper and evolve over time, and it felt super special to be able to witness their connection throughout the book.
Additionally, some of my favorite parts in the story were when his uncles were trying to set the two main characters up together but she had no interest in anything but studying the dragons. As seen in this quote "Can you tell they're trying to set us up?" Darian whispered with a furtive glance at them.
Celia let out a grunt. "I have no interest," she said. "I simply want to know more about the dragons."
Then seeing her denial in admitting their relationship and her growing feelings. As seen here “it is absolutely ridiculous that I keep looking to see if he's here or
not. He has a life, you know, outside of us. Just because you four miss him too doesn't mean he should
drop everything in his life and come by us.”
As well as when the mmc would join in playing with the young dragons as I thought that was very cute.
Then when Darien helped address some of the insecurities that Celia was facing and reassured her that she was worthy and that she did matter, and that she didn’t have to do everything alone if she didn’t want to. Seen here "This is so unlike me," she said, looking up at him through her tears.
"Well, you've had a lot of change recently," Darian
pointed out.
"Found out you know someone who could talk to dragons, and it turned out he's an irritating fellow who won't leave you in peace. You've had three dragons stick around longer than you've ever had anyone stay before, and you realized for the first time since you left where you came from, you're not alone."
And in return how she helped him when he had his own difficulties. “‘I'll have you know," he said,
"that I am good at doing lots of things that involve me staying in one place.
"How many of them involve doing lots of differ-
ent tasks?"
Darian didn't respond. She was right.
"I don't do it on purpose," he mumbled.
"It doesn't mean something's wrong with you,"
Celia said quietly. "It just means that your mind works differently than mine, and you need more things happening than I do. It doesn't mean you're broken—it just means things are different, and that's okay. Everyone is different.”
I also liked the banter between her and Darien as I thought that they had really good chemistry together.
"He says he can understand you too," Darian told Celia. "You just can't understand them. You don't have their language."
"Of course, I don't have their language," Celia said, letting her frustration leak out in sarcasm, "because I'm a human. What are you—part dragon?"
Finally, I’m glad that overtime she started being able to be vulnerable with him and start to open up to him and express her feelings as I think that was a really important part in both their relationship and the development of her as a character.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Gut rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
CAWPILE rating: TBD
Spice: Kisses
ARC publication date: July 2nd 2026
Tropes: Cosy fantasy, baby dragons, instalove, reverse age gap romance, fated mates, ADHD representation, cliffhanger, interconnected standalone, dual POV
Quote: All she wanted was her cottage in the meadow and her dragons. Nothing more. Certainly not a tall, handsome young man who never stopped talking and had more energy than all of her baby dragons combined. She had no use for that.
My synopsis
In a world where magic is illegal and dragons are considered a myth, a quiet healer and a bubbly shopkeeper bond over caring for injured baby dragons.
26yo Celia Carrington is a heartbroken healer who lives a quiet, isolated life watching over baby dragon eggs on their secret nesting grounds. Under her gentle care, injured hatchlings (including three baby fire dragons who've hatched too early) have a safe haven to recover until they're strong enough to fly up into the mountains.
When Celia accidentally reveals a baby dragon to 21yo Darian Emberlin, their worlds collide. Darian isn't just shocked to find out dragons are real, he's amazed to find he can hear and speak to them, too. As Darian helps Celia care for the young dragons, his bright personality starts to heal her broken heart. But what other dragon secrets will Darian unearth about himself? And can Celia open her heart again to love after her last heartbreak?
My review
This was such a light, cosy fantasy read packed with charm, but a few elements made things feel a bit awkward.
What I enjoyed
- The map and the sweet illustrations throughout the book were an absolute joy and added so much to the cozy atmosphere.
- Fire dragons Spark, Sizzle, and Flame were adorable! I loved their cheeky natures and their love for Celia and Darian.
- It was such a lovely treat to see couples from the author's other stories, A Taste of Tea and Tenderness and Once Upon a Bear, make an appearance!
- That cliffhanger completely hooked me! I definitely want to read the next book to see where Darian and Celia's adventure goes next.
What I didn't enjoy
- The romance moved a bit too fast for my personal taste. I really wish they had started out as just friends first, rather than jumping straight into instant yearning.
- It felt a little strange that the local villagers had no idea dragons existed right on their doorstep.
- It was odd that Darian had somehow never crossed paths with Celia before, despite him helping to run the general store where she has regularly shopped for years.
With thanks to the Author for providing me with this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Trigger warnings: Fire injury detail, grief, death, death of parent, injury detail
CAWPILE rating: TBD
Spice: Kisses
ARC publication date: July 2nd 2026
Tropes: Cosy fantasy, baby dragons, instalove, reverse age gap romance, fated mates, ADHD representation, cliffhanger, interconnected standalone, dual POV
Quote: All she wanted was her cottage in the meadow and her dragons. Nothing more. Certainly not a tall, handsome young man who never stopped talking and had more energy than all of her baby dragons combined. She had no use for that.
My synopsis
In a world where magic is illegal and dragons are considered a myth, a quiet healer and a bubbly shopkeeper bond over caring for injured baby dragons.
26yo Celia Carrington is a heartbroken healer who lives a quiet, isolated life watching over baby dragon eggs on their secret nesting grounds. Under her gentle care, injured hatchlings (including three baby fire dragons who've hatched too early) have a safe haven to recover until they're strong enough to fly up into the mountains.
When Celia accidentally reveals a baby dragon to 21yo Darian Emberlin, their worlds collide. Darian isn't just shocked to find out dragons are real, he's amazed to find he can hear and speak to them, too. As Darian helps Celia care for the young dragons, his bright personality starts to heal her broken heart. But what other dragon secrets will Darian unearth about himself? And can Celia open her heart again to love after her last heartbreak?
My review
This was such a light, cosy fantasy read packed with charm, but a few elements made things feel a bit awkward.
What I enjoyed
- The map and the sweet illustrations throughout the book were an absolute joy and added so much to the cozy atmosphere.
- Fire dragons Spark, Sizzle, and Flame were adorable! I loved their cheeky natures and their love for Celia and Darian.
- It was such a lovely treat to see couples from the author's other stories, A Taste of Tea and Tenderness and Once Upon a Bear, make an appearance!
- That cliffhanger completely hooked me! I definitely want to read the next book to see where Darian and Celia's adventure goes next.
What I didn't enjoy
- The romance moved a bit too fast for my personal taste. I really wish they had started out as just friends first, rather than jumping straight into instant yearning.
- It felt a little strange that the local villagers had no idea dragons existed right on their doorstep.
- It was odd that Darian had somehow never crossed paths with Celia before, despite him helping to run the general store where she has regularly shopped for years.
With thanks to the Author for providing me with this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Trigger warnings: Fire injury detail, grief, death, death of parent, injury detail
August 20, 2026
الكتاب جيد و لا بأس فيه؛ يعني يعتبر زين إذا الواحد مو عارف وش يقرأ و يبي يقرأ حق يضيع وقته هههه. بصراحة توقعت أن الكتاب يكون ممتع أكثر بس يلا معله
من أكثر الأشياء الي حبيتها في الكتاب هو غلافه الجميل يعني أدري أنه ما له دخل بمحتوى الكتاب نفسه بس يعني أحس أن ذي نقطة تنحسب حقه!
القصة نفسها نص نص يعني مو أن خلاص مسكتة و لا أنها منطحنة و ما تنقرأ بالمرة، يعني من ناحية الأجواء اوكي بس أحس الجزء الرومانسي منها أزعجني شوية؛ لأن حرفيًا البطلة و البطل من أول ما شافوا بعض تكونت عندهم مشاعر لبعض و الي أحس أنه مثير للتساؤلات شوية! أيضًا من الأشياء الي ما حبيتها في الكتاب فرق العمر يعني ما دش بمخي أن البطلة أكبر من البطل بخمس سنوات و اثنينهم مقتنعين أنهم يحبون بعض و الحياة حلوة
أيضًا من النقاط الي تذكر الي ما كنت أعرفها لما جيت اقرأ الكتاب أن أحداث الكتاب على حسب ما فهمت أنها قاعدة تصير في عالم الكاتبة كانت كاتبة عنه سلسلة بروحها. طبعًا إني قرأت هالكتاب بدون ما اقرأ ذيك السلسلة و فهمت وش قاعد يصير فمو ضروري أنكم تقرأون ذيك السلسلة أول عشان تفهمون وش قاعد يصير! بس تقدرون إنكم تقرأون ذيك السلسلة في حال إنكم حبيتون تتعرفون على قصص بعض الشخصيات الي انذكرت في ذا الكتاب
الصدق إني حسيت أن البطل لزقة؛ يعني الحين أنت مسوي روحك أنك بس رفيقها تقعد تجود خصرها ليش؟ 😭+ في نقطة انذكرت في الكتاب أنه يعني قلك مخقق أمة محمد كلها لدرجة أن في بنات قاعدين يجون متجرعائلته مو عشان يشترون الأغراض الي يحتاجونها لا لا هم جايين حق يشوفونه يعني بموت وش ذا ههههه ما عليكم مصدقين احنا
ما بتكلم عن خيلان البطل واجد لأن اوردي القصة ما كانت مركزة عليهم واجد بس يعني من انذكروا كانت شخصياتهم لطيفة و ساعات تضحك
أحس كان ممكن إني أرفع تقييم الكتاب لو أن الكاتبة ذكرت تفاصيل أكثر عن التنانين نفسهم لأن احس إني للحين عندي بعض الأسئلة أو بالأحرى بعض الفضول عن بعض أنواع التنانين الي انذكرت في الكتاب بشكل سطحي أو يعني بسرعة بسرعة و خلاص اتقفل على موضوعهم! طبعًا بما إني قاعدة اتكلم عن التنانين خلني أتكلم عن التنانين الي البطلة كانت قاعدة تعتني ابهم لأن ليش لا
بالنسبة للتنانين فكل تناين النار بدون إستثناء كانوا كيوت صدق و أحسني فعلاً حزنت إنهم هدوا البطلة في أواخر القصة! أما عن تنين الأرض فكان أوكي يعني كيوت بعد بس التنين الوحيد الي ما طقته أو بالأحرى طقتها هي ذيك التنينة الي تطير نسيت اسم نوعها بس الزبدة الي كانت آخر وحدة اعتنت فيها البطلة
طبعًا القصة مكتوبة بوجهتي نظر البطل و البطلة يعني كل حين الكاتبة تسوي تبديل بين وجهات نظرهم، عشان أكون صريحة إني غالبًا ما أحب وجهات النظر المتعددة يعني سواءً كانت ثنتين أو أكثر بس ما انزعجت من هالموضوع في ذا الكتاب! أيضًا في آخر الكتاب الكاتبة كتبت موقف أو حدث من وجهة نظر مختلفة بس ما كان لي خلق إني اقرأه فإذا جاني خلق هالمرة إن شاء الله برجع حقه و بقرأه هو يعني صاير نفس الجابتر الإضافي أو شيء جذي
بداية الكتاب كانت مو أقوى شيء و لهذا لما كنت توني قاعدة اقرأه في البداية كنت مخططة إني ما اكمل الثلاثية بس إن شاء الله لين نزلت الكتب الباقية بكمل السلسلة! عندي فضول أعرف تكملة القصة و صدقًا أحسني تحمست اقرأ أعمال أخرى للكاتبة ヾ(≧▽≦*)o
من أكثر الأشياء الي حبيتها في الكتاب هو غلافه الجميل يعني أدري أنه ما له دخل بمحتوى الكتاب نفسه بس يعني أحس أن ذي نقطة تنحسب حقه!
القصة نفسها نص نص يعني مو أن خلاص مسكتة و لا أنها منطحنة و ما تنقرأ بالمرة، يعني من ناحية الأجواء اوكي بس أحس الجزء الرومانسي منها أزعجني شوية؛ لأن حرفيًا البطلة و البطل من أول ما شافوا بعض تكونت عندهم مشاعر لبعض و الي أحس أنه مثير للتساؤلات شوية! أيضًا من الأشياء الي ما حبيتها في الكتاب فرق العمر يعني ما دش بمخي أن البطلة أكبر من البطل بخمس سنوات و اثنينهم مقتنعين أنهم يحبون بعض و الحياة حلوة
أيضًا من النقاط الي تذكر الي ما كنت أعرفها لما جيت اقرأ الكتاب أن أحداث الكتاب على حسب ما فهمت أنها قاعدة تصير في عالم الكاتبة كانت كاتبة عنه سلسلة بروحها. طبعًا إني قرأت هالكتاب بدون ما اقرأ ذيك السلسلة و فهمت وش قاعد يصير فمو ضروري أنكم تقرأون ذيك السلسلة أول عشان تفهمون وش قاعد يصير! بس تقدرون إنكم تقرأون ذيك السلسلة في حال إنكم حبيتون تتعرفون على قصص بعض الشخصيات الي انذكرت في ذا الكتاب
الصدق إني حسيت أن البطل لزقة؛ يعني الحين أنت مسوي روحك أنك بس رفيقها تقعد تجود خصرها ليش؟ 😭+ في نقطة انذكرت في الكتاب أنه يعني قلك مخقق أمة محمد كلها لدرجة أن في بنات قاعدين يجون متجرعائلته مو عشان يشترون الأغراض الي يحتاجونها لا لا هم جايين حق يشوفونه يعني بموت وش ذا ههههه ما عليكم مصدقين احنا
ما بتكلم عن خيلان البطل واجد لأن اوردي القصة ما كانت مركزة عليهم واجد بس يعني من انذكروا كانت شخصياتهم لطيفة و ساعات تضحك
أحس كان ممكن إني أرفع تقييم الكتاب لو أن الكاتبة ذكرت تفاصيل أكثر عن التنانين نفسهم لأن احس إني للحين عندي بعض الأسئلة أو بالأحرى بعض الفضول عن بعض أنواع التنانين الي انذكرت في الكتاب بشكل سطحي أو يعني بسرعة بسرعة و خلاص اتقفل على موضوعهم! طبعًا بما إني قاعدة اتكلم عن التنانين خلني أتكلم عن التنانين الي البطلة كانت قاعدة تعتني ابهم لأن ليش لا
بالنسبة للتنانين فكل تناين النار بدون إستثناء كانوا كيوت صدق و أحسني فعلاً حزنت إنهم هدوا البطلة في أواخر القصة! أما عن تنين الأرض فكان أوكي يعني كيوت بعد بس التنين الوحيد الي ما طقته أو بالأحرى طقتها هي ذيك التنينة الي تطير نسيت اسم نوعها بس الزبدة الي كانت آخر وحدة اعتنت فيها البطلة
طبعًا القصة مكتوبة بوجهتي نظر البطل و البطلة يعني كل حين الكاتبة تسوي تبديل بين وجهات نظرهم، عشان أكون صريحة إني غالبًا ما أحب وجهات النظر المتعددة يعني سواءً كانت ثنتين أو أكثر بس ما انزعجت من هالموضوع في ذا الكتاب! أيضًا في آخر الكتاب الكاتبة كتبت موقف أو حدث من وجهة نظر مختلفة بس ما كان لي خلق إني اقرأه فإذا جاني خلق هالمرة إن شاء الله برجع حقه و بقرأه هو يعني صاير نفس الجابتر الإضافي أو شيء جذي
بداية الكتاب كانت مو أقوى شيء و لهذا لما كنت توني قاعدة اقرأه في البداية كنت مخططة إني ما اكمل الثلاثية بس إن شاء الله لين نزلت الكتب الباقية بكمل السلسلة! عندي فضول أعرف تكملة القصة و صدقًا أحسني تحمست اقرأ أعمال أخرى للكاتبة ヾ(≧▽≦*)o
Review of advance copy received from Author
* I received an ARC from the author, and all opinions are my own.
A Hearthful of Hatchlings is full of adorable dragons, grumpy x sunshine romance, and cozy adventures!
This was exactly the book I needed! I have been super busy recently, so to curl up with this book was a delight. This is the book you read before a roaring fire or in a scenic meadow. There was pure cozy vibes, with little bits of drama sprinkled in.
This book does take place in Gabrielle Landi’s Galamere Chronicles world. I still haven’t read those books (I will, I swear!). I don’t think you need to read those books to understand this one, but I felt like I was missing some very small things.
This book was a quick read and left off on a little bit of a cliffhanger. I loved how the story progressed, and the twist at the end! I cannot wait for the next book to come out!
Celia was a lovely character! She was the grumpy one in the book, but there is a story there and I’m excited to understand her more in future books. She was also super kind and nurturing, especially towards the dragons. Celia is an interesting character who has a nice balance of sweet and grumpy.
Darian was the other main character, and he was the sunshine one! He was so bubbly, which complemented Celia nicely. I also loved how friendly and caring he was. It was just so sweet! And his playing with the dragons had me smiling so big- it was so cute! I loved the twist pertaining to him at the end and I am excited to see where that leads.
The dragons were everything! I loved them so, so much! They were so cute and rambunctious, and there was art included in the book! The author did an amazing job writing all their different personalities, especially since they didn’t talk. They also had sweet relationships with our protagonists, and I liked how they behaved differently for each character. As a dog owner, it was very realistic to animal behavior, which I appreciated.
The other side characters, mainly Darian’s uncles, were the best. I especially loved how the uncles were trying to push the two together- I will always love meddling family members!
This romance is going to be a slow burn. That’s not my favorite trope in the whole wide world, but I like that these two are getting to know each other. There is also a lot of chemistry and good moments between the two. I will say there is a little bit of an age-gap, but only 5 years or so. It’s not the biggest age-gap, but there is a bit of difference in their maturity levels, which adds a nice depth to the story. There also just seemed to be a connection between the characters that I am excited to see develop more.
A Hearthful of Hatchlings is a sweet and cozy fantasy romance with dragons and grumpy x sunshine romance!
A Hearthful of Hatchlings releases on July 2, 2026.
A Hearthful of Hatchlings is full of adorable dragons, grumpy x sunshine romance, and cozy adventures!
This was exactly the book I needed! I have been super busy recently, so to curl up with this book was a delight. This is the book you read before a roaring fire or in a scenic meadow. There was pure cozy vibes, with little bits of drama sprinkled in.
This book does take place in Gabrielle Landi’s Galamere Chronicles world. I still haven’t read those books (I will, I swear!). I don’t think you need to read those books to understand this one, but I felt like I was missing some very small things.
This book was a quick read and left off on a little bit of a cliffhanger. I loved how the story progressed, and the twist at the end! I cannot wait for the next book to come out!
Celia was a lovely character! She was the grumpy one in the book, but there is a story there and I’m excited to understand her more in future books. She was also super kind and nurturing, especially towards the dragons. Celia is an interesting character who has a nice balance of sweet and grumpy.
Darian was the other main character, and he was the sunshine one! He was so bubbly, which complemented Celia nicely. I also loved how friendly and caring he was. It was just so sweet! And his playing with the dragons had me smiling so big- it was so cute! I loved the twist pertaining to him at the end and I am excited to see where that leads.
The dragons were everything! I loved them so, so much! They were so cute and rambunctious, and there was art included in the book! The author did an amazing job writing all their different personalities, especially since they didn’t talk. They also had sweet relationships with our protagonists, and I liked how they behaved differently for each character. As a dog owner, it was very realistic to animal behavior, which I appreciated.
The other side characters, mainly Darian’s uncles, were the best. I especially loved how the uncles were trying to push the two together- I will always love meddling family members!
This romance is going to be a slow burn. That’s not my favorite trope in the whole wide world, but I like that these two are getting to know each other. There is also a lot of chemistry and good moments between the two. I will say there is a little bit of an age-gap, but only 5 years or so. It’s not the biggest age-gap, but there is a bit of difference in their maturity levels, which adds a nice depth to the story. There also just seemed to be a connection between the characters that I am excited to see develop more.
A Hearthful of Hatchlings is a sweet and cozy fantasy romance with dragons and grumpy x sunshine romance!
A Hearthful of Hatchlings releases on July 2, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4 stars!
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book!
So I totally forgot going into this book that these characters’ story was going to be spread over a three book series. Totally my fault, because in hindsight, I remember seeing the author’s Kickstarter and the announcement in her newsletter, so whoopsie daisy. It took me until the last few chapters to realize that, oh, I'm not going to get the rest of their story today, but I don’t mind because that means we get to spend more time with these characters!
It’s the author’s first time trying this format of writing a romance that stretches over multiple books, and I actually prefer it over the standalone format. Normally, while the romance is very cute, it kind of gives off the sense of being slightly rushed and unrealistic, in my opinion. But this book surprised me because while it still feels a little fast, I got more time to actually get to know the main characters, which I really appreciated.
Also, THE BABY DRAGONS! I mean, you tell me that a book has dragons and that is all I need to hear. I’m reading it. But I was pleasantly surprised by how much the dragons are actually involved in the plot! I loved seeing the babies and all their different personalities, and I can't wait for all of the dragon lore that’s coming! There is no such thing as too many details! Also, I am with Celia, Flame is my favorite.
While this series could definitely be read by itself, I think you will get the most enjoyment out of it if you have read the authors other books first, as they are set in the same world. Quite a few beloved characters made an appearance!
_______________________________
Brief overview of the Romance content...
- Light noticing
- A hug or two
- Hand holding
- Forehead kiss
Brief overview of other content...
- Grief over a past loved one
_______________________________
Over all, this book was a fun and cute read! Personally, I would feel comfortable recommending it for ages 13 and up. Thanks to the author for the ARC! I loved the baby dragons!
August 12, 2026
Oh my goodness, what an utterly adorable story. I'm finding more and more that I'm being charmed by dragon led stories and this once literally made my heart melt. I mean what's not to love, lots of baby dragons, a golden retriever MMC and a grumpy MFC yes please. And even better, I've found a new author to love as this is my first book by her, I'll definitely be checking out more of her works after reading this. It's super sweet, super cozy and is the first in this series, can't wait for book two and the continuation. It's perfect for a quick easy read and did I mention it has baby dragons! Loved every second of it as it was simply magical.
I just loved the two main characters Celia and Darian the grumpy, sunshine mix that works so well, and I always love it when this trope is reversed as it's a favourite of mine. Celia a healer who keeps to herself in the mountains and takes care of injured baby dragons until they are ready to leave, prefers her solitude. That is until a rather talkative shopkeeper named Darian discovers a baby dragon in her basket when she's shopping, now she has a curious and friendly young man who insists on helping her take her things home. But try as she might she can't discourage him from visiting her or the dragons and she finds it harder to keep her walls erected. Darian is a breath of fresh air, he's drawn to the prickly healer from the moment he meets her and doesn't understand why, but more than seeing the dragons she heals, he will do anything to make her smile, though he feels he's a bit much for her at times. Yeah I adored both of them equally, and they are both relatable characters which I took to immediately and can't wait to see where they go in the next book.
And the baby dragons (Sizzle, Spark and Flame) were so adorable, each of them having a personality of their own and if I'm honest this book left me wanting one so badly, after all they seem perfectly snuggly.
So if you are looking for a sweet, cozy read to relax with this one is for you. Totally recommend 😁
I just loved the two main characters Celia and Darian the grumpy, sunshine mix that works so well, and I always love it when this trope is reversed as it's a favourite of mine. Celia a healer who keeps to herself in the mountains and takes care of injured baby dragons until they are ready to leave, prefers her solitude. That is until a rather talkative shopkeeper named Darian discovers a baby dragon in her basket when she's shopping, now she has a curious and friendly young man who insists on helping her take her things home. But try as she might she can't discourage him from visiting her or the dragons and she finds it harder to keep her walls erected. Darian is a breath of fresh air, he's drawn to the prickly healer from the moment he meets her and doesn't understand why, but more than seeing the dragons she heals, he will do anything to make her smile, though he feels he's a bit much for her at times. Yeah I adored both of them equally, and they are both relatable characters which I took to immediately and can't wait to see where they go in the next book.
And the baby dragons (Sizzle, Spark and Flame) were so adorable, each of them having a personality of their own and if I'm honest this book left me wanting one so badly, after all they seem perfectly snuggly.
So if you are looking for a sweet, cozy read to relax with this one is for you. Totally recommend 😁
Review of advance copy received from Author
A Hearthful of Hatchlings was just the read I needed this past week! Gabrielle Landi has once again delivered a book fully of adorableness, heart, and just a sprinkle of humor. This newest addition to her collection is about a woman named Celia who spends most of her time secluded while rehabilitating injured dragon hatchlings, and a man named Darian who happens upon her secret and gets so excited about learning that dragons are real that he insists on helping her. Though Celia agrees quite reluctantly, it soon turns out that he's a very good helper, and their friendship continues to grow as time goes on. Friendship, and maybe a sliver of a little more? Who knows? This is only the first book in a trilogy of books, so we'll have to see.
I had more than one favorite part of the book (aside from the baby dragons, of course. They were so cute). The first was the slowburn nature of Celia's and Darian's relationship. My introduction to Gabrielle Landi's work was through A Taste of Tea and Tenderness, which had a much faster pace and completely different feel to it. And so many books I read end up with much more romance in the first book even when labeled as a slowburn. So having their relationship progress in this slower, more natural way was very refreshing.
The other thing I absolutely loved was something I wasn't expecting at all. Though Gabrielle didn't market the book or mention this to any of us ARC readers beforehand, she later confirmed to us after we noted it that Darian is ADHD coded! She didn't market the book as neurodivergent rep for her own reasons, but gave us permission to mention it in our review since we did catch on and it's a big part of my platform as a reader and reviewer. It was such a pleasant surprise and made Darian so much more relatable as a character. He even reminded me of one of my sisters who also has ADHD and loves dragons.
I had more than one favorite part of the book (aside from the baby dragons, of course. They were so cute). The first was the slowburn nature of Celia's and Darian's relationship. My introduction to Gabrielle Landi's work was through A Taste of Tea and Tenderness, which had a much faster pace and completely different feel to it. And so many books I read end up with much more romance in the first book even when labeled as a slowburn. So having their relationship progress in this slower, more natural way was very refreshing.
The other thing I absolutely loved was something I wasn't expecting at all. Though Gabrielle didn't market the book or mention this to any of us ARC readers beforehand, she later confirmed to us after we noted it that Darian is ADHD coded! She didn't market the book as neurodivergent rep for her own reasons, but gave us permission to mention it in our review since we did catch on and it's a big part of my platform as a reader and reviewer. It was such a pleasant surprise and made Darian so much more relatable as a character. He even reminded me of one of my sisters who also has ADHD and loves dragons.
Review of advance copy received from Auteur
✨ ARC REVIEW ✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
A Heartful of Hatchlings completely stole my heart. 🐉🤍
This cozy fantasy follows Celia, a dragon healer who, after experiencing profound loss, has turned away from healing humans and devoted her life solely to caring for dragons. Everything changes when she meets Darian, a kind-hearted young man working in his uncles' general store who discovers, through Celia, that dragons are real—and that he possesses the extraordinary ability to communicate with them.
Together, they embark on an unforgettable journey alongside three adorable fire dragon hatchlings, and I became just as attached to these little dragons as Celia and Darian did.
One of my favorite aspects of this story was the dual POV. It allowed me to connect deeply with both Celia and Darian and witness their relationship grow naturally throughout their adventure. Their romance was sweet, tender, and filled with heartfelt moments that made me smile constantly.
I especially loved Celia's character and the emotional depth she brought to the story. Watching her slowly open her heart again after the loss of her husband was incredibly moving.
The fantasy world itself feels warm and inviting, making this the perfect cozy fantasy read for anyone who loves dragons, adventure, and heartwarming relationships.
And that ending! The story is far from over, and after the revelations surrounding Darian's past and his decision to leave with the great fire dragon connected to his father, I absolutely cannot wait to discover what happens next.
If you love:
🐉 Dragons
🤍 Cozy fantasy
🗺️ Adventure
💕 Sweet romance
👥 Dual POV
✨ Found family vibes
🔍 Family mysteries
then you definitely need to add A Heartful of Hatchlings to your TBR!
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
A Heartful of Hatchlings completely stole my heart. 🐉🤍
This cozy fantasy follows Celia, a dragon healer who, after experiencing profound loss, has turned away from healing humans and devoted her life solely to caring for dragons. Everything changes when she meets Darian, a kind-hearted young man working in his uncles' general store who discovers, through Celia, that dragons are real—and that he possesses the extraordinary ability to communicate with them.
Together, they embark on an unforgettable journey alongside three adorable fire dragon hatchlings, and I became just as attached to these little dragons as Celia and Darian did.
One of my favorite aspects of this story was the dual POV. It allowed me to connect deeply with both Celia and Darian and witness their relationship grow naturally throughout their adventure. Their romance was sweet, tender, and filled with heartfelt moments that made me smile constantly.
I especially loved Celia's character and the emotional depth she brought to the story. Watching her slowly open her heart again after the loss of her husband was incredibly moving.
The fantasy world itself feels warm and inviting, making this the perfect cozy fantasy read for anyone who loves dragons, adventure, and heartwarming relationships.
And that ending! The story is far from over, and after the revelations surrounding Darian's past and his decision to leave with the great fire dragon connected to his father, I absolutely cannot wait to discover what happens next.
If you love:
🐉 Dragons
🤍 Cozy fantasy
🗺️ Adventure
💕 Sweet romance
👥 Dual POV
✨ Found family vibes
🔍 Family mysteries
then you definitely need to add A Heartful of Hatchlings to your TBR!
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 11, 2026
I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Darian is the human embodiment of a golden retriever! He's like a little puppy, following Celia around, eager to help her and be a handyman for all her needs— carrying her things for her, helping her with the baby dragons, fixing her furniture, bringing supplies to do household repairs without prompting.
Unfortunately, a lot of their interactions and romance feels forced. Darian's uncles are constantly making comments and suggestions to get their nephew to "help" Celia or have them be alone together. Celia has stated more than once she has no interest and only cares about her dragons. Then not even a chapter later, she is suddenly "staring at him like she would drown if she looked away." This story started with Darian's infatuation with the dragons, and it suddenly turned into an infatuation with Celia.
Despite only knowing eachother for what seems like a few days, Darian's infatuation with her seems to be turning into love, his uncles are trying to set them up, and the baby dragons are convinced Darian is Celia's mate.
The ending really ticked me off. Literally the same day Celia's baby dragons leave her, Darian confesses his love to her and then suddenly decides to go off on an adventure with some huge dragon that comes to him out of nowhere, and leaves her behind. For someone who claimed not to only be interested in her because of the dragons, he sure left with one as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
This story had a lot of promise, and I can admit I was really excited to read this and judged the book by its cover! The synopsis and artwork drew me in, but this was sadly disappointing. It needed more buildup and personality, and life. The dragons were the heart of this story, but the characters leave much to be desired.
Darian is the human embodiment of a golden retriever! He's like a little puppy, following Celia around, eager to help her and be a handyman for all her needs— carrying her things for her, helping her with the baby dragons, fixing her furniture, bringing supplies to do household repairs without prompting.
Unfortunately, a lot of their interactions and romance feels forced. Darian's uncles are constantly making comments and suggestions to get their nephew to "help" Celia or have them be alone together. Celia has stated more than once she has no interest and only cares about her dragons. Then not even a chapter later, she is suddenly "staring at him like she would drown if she looked away." This story started with Darian's infatuation with the dragons, and it suddenly turned into an infatuation with Celia.
Despite only knowing eachother for what seems like a few days, Darian's infatuation with her seems to be turning into love, his uncles are trying to set them up, and the baby dragons are convinced Darian is Celia's mate.
The ending really ticked me off. Literally the same day Celia's baby dragons leave her, Darian confesses his love to her and then suddenly decides to go off on an adventure with some huge dragon that comes to him out of nowhere, and leaves her behind. For someone who claimed not to only be interested in her because of the dragons, he sure left with one as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
This story had a lot of promise, and I can admit I was really excited to read this and judged the book by its cover! The synopsis and artwork drew me in, but this was sadly disappointing. It needed more buildup and personality, and life. The dragons were the heart of this story, but the characters leave much to be desired.
July 3, 2026
What a sweet, cozy fantasy read full of baby dragons and an adorable romance! This story follows a grumpy dragon healer named Celia and an all-too-smiling shopkeeper named Darian Emberlin, whose curiosity gets the better of him when he spots a baby dragon in Celia’s shopping basket. From that point on, he becomes a permanent fixture at Celia’s side, who is unquestionably aggravated at her sudden disturbed peace, but who also secretly relishes the comfort of his presence. While their reverse grumpy-sunshine dynamic was cute to read, I’d ultimately wished the story could have been a tad longer so that their build-up didn’t quite feel so rushed.
I also went into this book having not read any of the other books in her Galamere Chronicles and found that I was often confused or didn’t have enough information about the world to understand certain aspects of the story. As a result, the world felt flat. I didn’t fully understand why people thought that dragons didn’t exist or why magic was banned in the first place. Not much of Landi’s world building was explained in this story, and I think if I’d read her other books, things would have been a little clearer. I don’t think it impacted the main parts of the story, but it did make me feel disconnected and uninterested at times. However, I did love the incorporation of Darian’s uncles who brought so much humor to the story because of their meddlesome, matchmaking ways haha.
This book was incredibly short and cute if you’re looking for a cozy fantasy book with a green flag MMC, adorable baby dragons, meddlesome uncles, and a little bit of adventure.
I received an eARC of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
😘: Kisses only
🤬: No language
I also went into this book having not read any of the other books in her Galamere Chronicles and found that I was often confused or didn’t have enough information about the world to understand certain aspects of the story. As a result, the world felt flat. I didn’t fully understand why people thought that dragons didn’t exist or why magic was banned in the first place. Not much of Landi’s world building was explained in this story, and I think if I’d read her other books, things would have been a little clearer. I don’t think it impacted the main parts of the story, but it did make me feel disconnected and uninterested at times. However, I did love the incorporation of Darian’s uncles who brought so much humor to the story because of their meddlesome, matchmaking ways haha.
This book was incredibly short and cute if you’re looking for a cozy fantasy book with a green flag MMC, adorable baby dragons, meddlesome uncles, and a little bit of adventure.
I received an eARC of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
😘: Kisses only
🤬: No language
June 29, 2026
A Hearthful of Hatchlings by Gabrielle Landi
Personal Rating: 4
Content Rating: 5
Romance: 2 (hand-holding, and a forehead kiss.)
Violence: 2
Faith: (the Almighty.) 0.5 (mention of magic that is banned.)
Profanity/Language: 2
Youth Appropriate: 1
Thoughts:
This started out a little...not slow but not exactly pulling me in. But, boy, did that change! And now I have to wait to see the resolution of the cliff-hanger. But don't let the fact that it is a cliff-hanger stop you from reading this book. It's really good! And the cover!! And the art inside the book!! Amazing! Gabrielle Landi's covers are always amazing, and this one is no exception.
Some of the dialogue did seem a little odd, but at the same time fitting to the characters in a way. The Dragons were sooooo cute.
I did feel like the romance started a little quick and it kind of skimmed some parts that would be amazing to see the relationship grow (but, at the same time, it would slow the book down.) but when it was there it was so sweet and gentle and the way Darin cared for Celia was just so so cute. (Nothing beyond holding hands, going on a picnic, helping with baby dragons, and a forehead kiss) I feel like it was only the speed that was a bit unbalanced as everything else was awesome!
“You’re allowed to cry,” he said, pulling her closer. She buried her face in his chest and began to cry harder, sobs wracking her whole body. Darian rubbed circles on her back.
-------
“Just because you’re capable doesn’t mean you have to,” Darian said, the words so matter-of-fact, as if he didn’t realize what he was saying.
--------
Thank you SO much Gabrielle Landi for the ARC copy of this book
Personal Rating: 4
Content Rating: 5
Romance: 2 (hand-holding, and a forehead kiss.)
Violence: 2
Faith: (the Almighty.) 0.5 (mention of magic that is banned.)
Profanity/Language: 2
Youth Appropriate: 1
Thoughts:
This started out a little...not slow but not exactly pulling me in. But, boy, did that change! And now I have to wait to see the resolution of the cliff-hanger. But don't let the fact that it is a cliff-hanger stop you from reading this book. It's really good! And the cover!! And the art inside the book!! Amazing! Gabrielle Landi's covers are always amazing, and this one is no exception.
Some of the dialogue did seem a little odd, but at the same time fitting to the characters in a way. The Dragons were sooooo cute.
I did feel like the romance started a little quick and it kind of skimmed some parts that would be amazing to see the relationship grow (but, at the same time, it would slow the book down.) but when it was there it was so sweet and gentle and the way Darin cared for Celia was just so so cute. (Nothing beyond holding hands, going on a picnic, helping with baby dragons, and a forehead kiss) I feel like it was only the speed that was a bit unbalanced as everything else was awesome!
“You’re allowed to cry,” he said, pulling her closer. She buried her face in his chest and began to cry harder, sobs wracking her whole body. Darian rubbed circles on her back.
-------
“Just because you’re capable doesn’t mean you have to,” Darian said, the words so matter-of-fact, as if he didn’t realize what he was saying.
--------
Thank you SO much Gabrielle Landi for the ARC copy of this book
July 2, 2026
This is a very cute and quick read, and I mean super quick.
I loved all the baby dragon shenanigans. They made for a playful story with grumpy Celia.
It’s a grumpy/sunshine romance, which is one of my favorite tropes and a reverse age gap.
Celia is grumpy and I could relate to her wanting to be on her own taking care of her dragons after a traumatic healing experience she went through. I loved how she slowly opened up to Darian. (Well, as slow as it could be with this short story).
Darian is a ball of sunshine. He’s so cute with dragons, playing with them like they’re puppies or kittens. And he never allowed Celia’s grumpiness to deter him.
The romance is very fast. You literally go from one chapter where nothing is happening to the next where Celia really wants Darian. Since this seems to be a series, I think it would have been nice if the romance built more slowly as the series continues. It would have made it more believable for me. It’s cute, but way too fast.
And with how fast it is, there’s some holes, like when Celia says she’s been coming to the village for the last two years to the shop where Darian works and he’s never seen her? I don’t see how that’s possible when he’s been there his whole life. Or the ending threw something at us that wasn’t explained at all, and everything was so sudden with no explanation, which I’m sure will be explained further in the next book. It was just little things like that that were missed.
It’s worth a read just for the baby dragons though!
Thank you to the author for the e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I loved all the baby dragon shenanigans. They made for a playful story with grumpy Celia.
It’s a grumpy/sunshine romance, which is one of my favorite tropes and a reverse age gap.
Celia is grumpy and I could relate to her wanting to be on her own taking care of her dragons after a traumatic healing experience she went through. I loved how she slowly opened up to Darian. (Well, as slow as it could be with this short story).
Darian is a ball of sunshine. He’s so cute with dragons, playing with them like they’re puppies or kittens. And he never allowed Celia’s grumpiness to deter him.
The romance is very fast. You literally go from one chapter where nothing is happening to the next where Celia really wants Darian. Since this seems to be a series, I think it would have been nice if the romance built more slowly as the series continues. It would have made it more believable for me. It’s cute, but way too fast.
And with how fast it is, there’s some holes, like when Celia says she’s been coming to the village for the last two years to the shop where Darian works and he’s never seen her? I don’t see how that’s possible when he’s been there his whole life. Or the ending threw something at us that wasn’t explained at all, and everything was so sudden with no explanation, which I’m sure will be explained further in the next book. It was just little things like that that were missed.
It’s worth a read just for the baby dragons though!
Thank you to the author for the e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 4, 2026
4 ⭐️
I have had a very bad book hangover since I read the first 4 Dungeon Crawler books. I have even reread the first two. But I have spiraled in to a book slump I am finding hard to get myself out of. I have found great books to read but I cannot bring myself to read them or to go further than a few chapters into them. Which is where this novella comes in . I thought I would give a short book/novella a chance, especially a cozy one, to make my love of reading spark off again. And at least for the duration of the story it has worked. I loved this book and wish it were a little longer even though the shortness of the book helped me get through my hangover. I know it is a contradiction but that is how I feel.
This is a cozy fantasy with a very light sprinkling of romance, especially in this installment. And there are dragons - a winning combination in my book. The trope of grumpy/sunshine is in its favour too. All the more so as the grumpy one in this dynamic is the older lady and the sunshine is the younger man. This story showed rather than tell which worked for the novella length and we are introduced a world with dragons where magic is outlawed and a healer running away from something and a general store clerk who has an ability that he did not know he had and a past that is mysterious. I loved the interactions between the MC's and the dragons.
The story ended on a cliffhanger with the next book slated to come out in March of next year which has dampened the joy I felt reading this book. But I am looking forward to it and I hope to find books that scratch the itch like this one did soon in the meantime.
I have had a very bad book hangover since I read the first 4 Dungeon Crawler books. I have even reread the first two. But I have spiraled in to a book slump I am finding hard to get myself out of. I have found great books to read but I cannot bring myself to read them or to go further than a few chapters into them. Which is where this novella comes in . I thought I would give a short book/novella a chance, especially a cozy one, to make my love of reading spark off again. And at least for the duration of the story it has worked. I loved this book and wish it were a little longer even though the shortness of the book helped me get through my hangover. I know it is a contradiction but that is how I feel.
This is a cozy fantasy with a very light sprinkling of romance, especially in this installment. And there are dragons - a winning combination in my book. The trope of grumpy/sunshine is in its favour too. All the more so as the grumpy one in this dynamic is the older lady and the sunshine is the younger man. This story showed rather than tell which worked for the novella length and we are introduced a world with dragons where magic is outlawed and a healer running away from something and a general store clerk who has an ability that he did not know he had and a past that is mysterious. I loved the interactions between the MC's and the dragons.
The story ended on a cliffhanger with the next book slated to come out in March of next year which has dampened the joy I felt reading this book. But I am looking forward to it and I hope to find books that scratch the itch like this one did soon in the meantime.
June 14, 2026
A cozy fantasy romance with a recluse and black cat FMC and a golden retriever MMC who falls first and only wants to help her.
You jump right into the story following the FMC, who used to heal humans but after some mistakes on her part, she moves to a secluded part of the mountains and ends up using her healing skills to help dragons after they hatch who are injured, even though the world no longer allows magic. When a new dragon hatches that needs a splint, she ends up having to go to town and is accidentally discovered by the shop keepers nephew, who insists on helping her with the dragons once he sees more of them and she reluctantly agrees. Little do either of them know, for some reason he is able to communicate with them and this allows him to help even more! They work together to help as many dragons as they can and keep them secret from everyone to keep them safe.
I really enjoyed the multiple POV and getting to see the grumpy black cat side of the FMC as she deals with the MMC who’s got golden retriever energy and wants to help her however he can, even if her gets in her way a little. She reluctantly started to like him and they get closer the more they help and with that somewhat crazy ending with a cliffhanger, I can’t wait to see what happens next! This was a quick and cozy read and it had dragons that were just as sassy, and I quickly fell in love with them! Overall I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what happens next, my rating 4.5/5!
Thanks to the author for the gifted copy, all opinions given are my own!
You jump right into the story following the FMC, who used to heal humans but after some mistakes on her part, she moves to a secluded part of the mountains and ends up using her healing skills to help dragons after they hatch who are injured, even though the world no longer allows magic. When a new dragon hatches that needs a splint, she ends up having to go to town and is accidentally discovered by the shop keepers nephew, who insists on helping her with the dragons once he sees more of them and she reluctantly agrees. Little do either of them know, for some reason he is able to communicate with them and this allows him to help even more! They work together to help as many dragons as they can and keep them secret from everyone to keep them safe.
I really enjoyed the multiple POV and getting to see the grumpy black cat side of the FMC as she deals with the MMC who’s got golden retriever energy and wants to help her however he can, even if her gets in her way a little. She reluctantly started to like him and they get closer the more they help and with that somewhat crazy ending with a cliffhanger, I can’t wait to see what happens next! This was a quick and cozy read and it had dragons that were just as sassy, and I quickly fell in love with them! Overall I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what happens next, my rating 4.5/5!
Thanks to the author for the gifted copy, all opinions given are my own!
Review of advance copy received from Author
A Hearthful of Hatchlings was a quick but cute cozy fantasy read with a nicely blooming relationship. I had enjoyed reading from both of Celia’s and Darian’s’ perspectives. I liked the whole grumpy x sunshine kind of vibe they had going on plus I just loved seeing them together. They have so many soft light hearted, deep, and emotional moments that had my feelings all over the place. I am completely smitten with them, Celia and Darian just feel they go along together so beautifully.
The dragons were also such a sweet aspect of the story, I enjoyed reading about how Celia cared for the baby dragons. I liked reading about the different types of dragons, their behaviors, the nests, and just their overall personalities. They were a big aspect of the story, the writing did a good job of balancing between the dragons and the connection between Celia and Darian. There is a bit of a romance between them but most of this novel is growing their connection, the set up of them and their story is beautiful written though and I’m enjoying the lead up.
The messaging and tone of the story does stay more on the light hearted kind of side but there are some deep emotional moments. I can’t really say much without spoiling things but I’m pleased with some of the choices leading up to the ending of this novel. Especially the epilogue, this has me so excited to see more of Celia, Darian, and the dragons. I just know this series is going to be a sweet cozy adventure. Thank you to the author for my complimentary review copy.
The dragons were also such a sweet aspect of the story, I enjoyed reading about how Celia cared for the baby dragons. I liked reading about the different types of dragons, their behaviors, the nests, and just their overall personalities. They were a big aspect of the story, the writing did a good job of balancing between the dragons and the connection between Celia and Darian. There is a bit of a romance between them but most of this novel is growing their connection, the set up of them and their story is beautiful written though and I’m enjoying the lead up.
The messaging and tone of the story does stay more on the light hearted kind of side but there are some deep emotional moments. I can’t really say much without spoiling things but I’m pleased with some of the choices leading up to the ending of this novel. Especially the epilogue, this has me so excited to see more of Celia, Darian, and the dragons. I just know this series is going to be a sweet cozy adventure. Thank you to the author for my complimentary review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Author
After several darker reads, A Hearthful of Hatchlings was the perfect palate cleanser. It's sweet, cozy, and feels like a warm hug in book form.
The real stars of this story are the baby dragons. They completely stole every scene they were in. They were adorable, full of personality, and by the end of the book I found myself wanting a baby dragon of my own.
I also enjoyed the relationship between Celia and Darian. The story has a gentle, comforting feel to it, and I found myself quickly invested in both the characters and their growing connection.
My biggest criticism is that I wanted more. More world-building. More backstory. More time with both Celia and Darian. I later learned that some of the author's previous books are connected to this world and provide additional context, but as the first book in a new series, I would have liked more of that information woven into this story. As a reader new to Gabrielle Landi's work, there were moments where the lack of background made parts of the story feel a little awkward or left me feeling like I was missing something important.
That said, the ending did exactly what a first book should do. It left me wanting to continue. Just as I felt fully immersed in the world and characters, the story ended, and it has me looking forward to the next book.
If you enjoy cozy fantasy, lovable dragons, and sweet, wholesome romance, this is definitely worth checking out.
The real stars of this story are the baby dragons. They completely stole every scene they were in. They were adorable, full of personality, and by the end of the book I found myself wanting a baby dragon of my own.
I also enjoyed the relationship between Celia and Darian. The story has a gentle, comforting feel to it, and I found myself quickly invested in both the characters and their growing connection.
My biggest criticism is that I wanted more. More world-building. More backstory. More time with both Celia and Darian. I later learned that some of the author's previous books are connected to this world and provide additional context, but as the first book in a new series, I would have liked more of that information woven into this story. As a reader new to Gabrielle Landi's work, there were moments where the lack of background made parts of the story feel a little awkward or left me feeling like I was missing something important.
That said, the ending did exactly what a first book should do. It left me wanting to continue. Just as I felt fully immersed in the world and characters, the story ended, and it has me looking forward to the next book.
If you enjoy cozy fantasy, lovable dragons, and sweet, wholesome romance, this is definitely worth checking out.
July 7, 2026
5 out 5 stars!!!
A Hearthful of Dragons is sweet and fiery breath of fresh air, wrapped in a package of some of the cutest baby dragons you could ever meet!
After reading a lot of books recently that were heavy with plot and spice, this one was welcome indeed, but just because there is a lack of spice doesn't mean that this book isn't good!
A Hearthful of Hatchlings is the first book in the Healer of Dragons series.
Celia is our FMC who, after a tragedy in her past has given up on healing humans and moved into the forest to take care of baby dragons. She may come off as grumpy and not caring, but she does, deeply. But she has been burned a few too many times.
If there is a grumpy, there must be a sunshine.....
Darian was basically sunshine incarnate, which is a welcome relief from the MMC always being the grumpy ones. Darian has one goal in life and that is to make Celia smile in any way that he can. Of course, what kind of MMC would he be if he didn't have any important secrets of his own.
I loved this book for what it is. A cozy fantasy, with a hint of romance and of course baby dragons!
The baby dragons do steal the show, and all of our collective hearts and I can't wait to learn more about them (and the world they live in) in the next novels, which need to come out soon!
Thank you Ms Landi for allowing me to join you on this journey! (And if I may ask for a baby dragon of my own? I'll take either Sod or Spark, please!)
A Hearthful of Dragons is sweet and fiery breath of fresh air, wrapped in a package of some of the cutest baby dragons you could ever meet!
After reading a lot of books recently that were heavy with plot and spice, this one was welcome indeed, but just because there is a lack of spice doesn't mean that this book isn't good!
A Hearthful of Hatchlings is the first book in the Healer of Dragons series.
Celia is our FMC who, after a tragedy in her past has given up on healing humans and moved into the forest to take care of baby dragons. She may come off as grumpy and not caring, but she does, deeply. But she has been burned a few too many times.
If there is a grumpy, there must be a sunshine.....
Darian was basically sunshine incarnate, which is a welcome relief from the MMC always being the grumpy ones. Darian has one goal in life and that is to make Celia smile in any way that he can. Of course, what kind of MMC would he be if he didn't have any important secrets of his own.
I loved this book for what it is. A cozy fantasy, with a hint of romance and of course baby dragons!
The baby dragons do steal the show, and all of our collective hearts and I can't wait to learn more about them (and the world they live in) in the next novels, which need to come out soon!
Thank you Ms Landi for allowing me to join you on this journey! (And if I may ask for a baby dragon of my own? I'll take either Sod or Spark, please!)
July 10, 2026
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!! I am always a fan of dragons so I was thrilled to read this story, and it exceeded my hopes for wonderful coziness!!! It was so lovely and relaxing!!!! I liked all the cameos from other characters in the Galamere world; it was fun to see some familiar faces!! My only regret is that now I have to wait to enjoy the next installment of the series!!
I loved Celia’s caring and nurturing nature that couldn’t help but shine, even through her heartbreak and guardedness, and I loved Darian’s persistence, playfulness, and tendency to just do things for Celia, whether to make her happy or her life easier, without being asked.
All in all, I LOVED Celia and Darian!!! They were both wonderful on their own (in very different ways), but together? They balanced and complimented one another, each shoring up the other’s weaknesses and respecting and magnifying their strengths. It was inspiring to see. Or read, I suppose. :)
The uncles were hilarious, and, of course, the baby dragons were basically the stars of the show. The cuddles and the protectiveness!!! They were adorable, and now I need one of my own!!!!!
I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy fantasy, sweet clean romance, grumpy/sunshine relationships, caring/protective hero, baby dragons, or just general adorableness!!!! I will be eagerly anticipating the next book in the series!!!
I loved Celia’s caring and nurturing nature that couldn’t help but shine, even through her heartbreak and guardedness, and I loved Darian’s persistence, playfulness, and tendency to just do things for Celia, whether to make her happy or her life easier, without being asked.
All in all, I LOVED Celia and Darian!!! They were both wonderful on their own (in very different ways), but together? They balanced and complimented one another, each shoring up the other’s weaknesses and respecting and magnifying their strengths. It was inspiring to see. Or read, I suppose. :)
The uncles were hilarious, and, of course, the baby dragons were basically the stars of the show. The cuddles and the protectiveness!!! They were adorable, and now I need one of my own!!!!!
I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy fantasy, sweet clean romance, grumpy/sunshine relationships, caring/protective hero, baby dragons, or just general adorableness!!!! I will be eagerly anticipating the next book in the series!!!
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