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Tales from the Dragon Diner #1
Calculated Whisk
The Dragon Bookkeeper Wanted.
After a lifetime as a mercenary and years of war, Rylana seeks a peaceful new career, and this job looks perfect. What could be calmer and more relaxing than crunching numbers while delightful scents waft from a professional kitchen?
There’s just one problem. The Dragon Diner is run by a real dragon, one she shot with an arrow during the war. And, oh yes, he remembers her.
This might not be the relaxing new start to life that Rylana envisioned.
After a lifetime as a mercenary and years of war, Rylana seeks a peaceful new career, and this job looks perfect. What could be calmer and more relaxing than crunching numbers while delightful scents waft from a professional kitchen?
There’s just one problem. The Dragon Diner is run by a real dragon, one she shot with an arrow during the war. And, oh yes, he remembers her.
This might not be the relaxing new start to life that Rylana envisioned.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2026
About the author
Lindsay Buroker
203 books6,477 followersI'm a full-time indie fantasy and science fiction author. When I'm not writing, I'm ferrying my dogs to hiking trails for adventures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 320 reviews
Did Not Finish
May 27, 2026DNF @ 6%
H*ll
H*rny
They used a made up word to describe either s*x or a man’s part. And they had a cakes that apparently had a man’s part sticking out of it.
Pornographic cakes.
Yeah, not going to finish this. It was nasty.
H*ll
H*rny
They used a made up word to describe either s*x or a man’s part. And they had a cakes that apparently had a man’s part sticking out of it.
Pornographic cakes.
Yeah, not going to finish this. It was nasty.
August 27, 2026
Review of books 1-3 of the frequently hilarious, extremely slowburn, cozy romantasy series, Tales from the Dragon Diner
I just finished reading the first three books and will definitely be reading any others that the author writes for this highly entertaining series. Below is my opinion of all three books. Every book ends with a satisfactory resolution to its central conflict, but I do not consider any of them standalone. Each has the same FMC and primary supporting cast of characters, most especially the dragon love interest. They really should be read in order, and it's well worth it, because they are very well done.
The 35-year-old FMC, Rylana, and her dragon-shapeshifter love interest, 200-year-old Jildarin, are both burned-out, traumatized warriors who have had enough of killing after participating in a recent territorial war in which they were on opposite sides. In fact, in one decisive battle, Rylana almost killed Jildarin. As an extremely accurate long-distance archer, she barely missed shooting him in the eye, which is one of the few ways to successfully kill a naturally armored dragon. Her near miss left a permanent scar beside his eye.
Rylana and Jildarin have independently arrived at essentially the same life goal: They want to experience the novelty of a peaceful existence by earning an income that doesn't involve their former profession as an extremely skilled professional soldier. They have separately moved to the aptly named city of Tranquility, where no violence is allowed, except in the case of officially verified self-defense.
Rylana was born and raised in Tranquility as one of two siblings in a very wealthy, aristocratic family. Her father made sure she had an excellent general education and advanced training in how to run a successful large-scale business, so she could ultimately take over the management of the family financial empire. Her father's plan might have ultimately worked except that he went too far when he attempted to force Rylana into a marriage of convenience with a man from a local wealthy family whom she could not stand. As a result, at 18, she walked away from her family and has not been home in the past 17 years until now. During the previous decade, she worked as a mercenary, and the last few years of that time, she was in love and in a committed relationship with the captain overseeing the mercenary troop she belonged to. She felt no personal attachment to the side of the war dominated by humans that her lover threw their band of mercenaries into. If not for him, she would have walked away years before. She only finally left after he was killed.
Jildarin partnered during the war with an elf who was an outstanding chef in addition to being a talented warrior. The dragon shifter learned to cook during the war from his longtime battle buddy. His post-war career choice is opening his own diner in Tranquility. He is outstanding with cooking but lousy with running a business. Rylana applies for a job as his bookkeeper in the nick of time to rescue his diner from going bankrupt.
I don't typically enjoy the popular romance trope, enemies to lovers, because it is rarely done well. But this series is turning out to be a really excellent example of a terrific slowburn ETL. Rylana and Jildarin's relationship develops in a way that is a fascinating and unique inversion of the usual ETL progression in romance novels, whether contemporary, historical or fantasy. Usually the steps are: distrustful lust to recreational sex to emotional intimacy to passionate, committed romantic love. This series gradually proceeds as follows: extreme distrust to effective business relationship to loyal friendship to romantic love to sexual passion.
Crucially, Rylana and Jildarin are presented as equals. This is something I most desire from a romance involving a powerful alpha warrior. I don't enjoy it when he is constantly rescuing a hapless FMC. I want to experience the two of them as equally capable warriors who consistently protect and save each other. Happily, each book in this series offers that dynamic. Rylana uses her ten years of military experience to protect Jildarin from various magical villains, and Jildarin consistently has her back as well. In short, Rylana is an active protagonist who persistently demonstrates agency throughout the first three books of this series. And Jildarin is allowed to have agency as well. And they systematically acknowledge and admire each other's courage and competence. Neither is ever reduced to an ineffectual MacGuffin.
Although it is not overtly labeled as such, Jildarin's progression from seemingly being asexual to gradually feeling sexual attraction toward Rylana across the first three books seems to be an intriguing and respectful representation of a demisexual individual.
I also loved the fact that, unlike far too many so-called clean romances that don't include more than a few light kisses, and which all too often produce robotic, asexual MCs, the first hand clasps and the first kiss in this series offer some of the most exciting sexual chemistry I've ever read.
Another thing I especially like about this series is that it is accurately advertised as "cozy" romantasy. As such, it contains significant threats of violence and actual physical attacks upon Rylana and Jildarin by multiple intimidating villains, but the resolution of this external conflict avoids gruesome consequences and a tone of unremitting grimness, which is common in non-cozy fantasy. In addition, there is emphasis on friendly, supportive connection with found family and members of the local community.
Finally, though this series is told entirely from the POV of the FMC, rather than the dual POV of her and her love interest, which is common in mainstream romance, it is written in close-third-person POV, in past tense, which is the most invisible, unobtrusive way to structure a novel geared toward romance fans, because that's how traditionally published romance has been written for generations.
I just finished reading the first three books and will definitely be reading any others that the author writes for this highly entertaining series. Below is my opinion of all three books. Every book ends with a satisfactory resolution to its central conflict, but I do not consider any of them standalone. Each has the same FMC and primary supporting cast of characters, most especially the dragon love interest. They really should be read in order, and it's well worth it, because they are very well done.
The 35-year-old FMC, Rylana, and her dragon-shapeshifter love interest, 200-year-old Jildarin, are both burned-out, traumatized warriors who have had enough of killing after participating in a recent territorial war in which they were on opposite sides. In fact, in one decisive battle, Rylana almost killed Jildarin. As an extremely accurate long-distance archer, she barely missed shooting him in the eye, which is one of the few ways to successfully kill a naturally armored dragon. Her near miss left a permanent scar beside his eye.
Rylana and Jildarin have independently arrived at essentially the same life goal: They want to experience the novelty of a peaceful existence by earning an income that doesn't involve their former profession as an extremely skilled professional soldier. They have separately moved to the aptly named city of Tranquility, where no violence is allowed, except in the case of officially verified self-defense.
Rylana was born and raised in Tranquility as one of two siblings in a very wealthy, aristocratic family. Her father made sure she had an excellent general education and advanced training in how to run a successful large-scale business, so she could ultimately take over the management of the family financial empire. Her father's plan might have ultimately worked except that he went too far when he attempted to force Rylana into a marriage of convenience with a man from a local wealthy family whom she could not stand. As a result, at 18, she walked away from her family and has not been home in the past 17 years until now. During the previous decade, she worked as a mercenary, and the last few years of that time, she was in love and in a committed relationship with the captain overseeing the mercenary troop she belonged to. She felt no personal attachment to the side of the war dominated by humans that her lover threw their band of mercenaries into. If not for him, she would have walked away years before. She only finally left after he was killed.
Jildarin partnered during the war with an elf who was an outstanding chef in addition to being a talented warrior. The dragon shifter learned to cook during the war from his longtime battle buddy. His post-war career choice is opening his own diner in Tranquility. He is outstanding with cooking but lousy with running a business. Rylana applies for a job as his bookkeeper in the nick of time to rescue his diner from going bankrupt.
I don't typically enjoy the popular romance trope, enemies to lovers, because it is rarely done well. But this series is turning out to be a really excellent example of a terrific slowburn ETL. Rylana and Jildarin's relationship develops in a way that is a fascinating and unique inversion of the usual ETL progression in romance novels, whether contemporary, historical or fantasy. Usually the steps are: distrustful lust to recreational sex to emotional intimacy to passionate, committed romantic love. This series gradually proceeds as follows: extreme distrust to effective business relationship to loyal friendship to romantic love to sexual passion.
Crucially, Rylana and Jildarin are presented as equals. This is something I most desire from a romance involving a powerful alpha warrior. I don't enjoy it when he is constantly rescuing a hapless FMC. I want to experience the two of them as equally capable warriors who consistently protect and save each other. Happily, each book in this series offers that dynamic. Rylana uses her ten years of military experience to protect Jildarin from various magical villains, and Jildarin consistently has her back as well. In short, Rylana is an active protagonist who persistently demonstrates agency throughout the first three books of this series. And Jildarin is allowed to have agency as well. And they systematically acknowledge and admire each other's courage and competence. Neither is ever reduced to an ineffectual MacGuffin.
Although it is not overtly labeled as such, Jildarin's progression from seemingly being asexual to gradually feeling sexual attraction toward Rylana across the first three books seems to be an intriguing and respectful representation of a demisexual individual.
I also loved the fact that, unlike far too many so-called clean romances that don't include more than a few light kisses, and which all too often produce robotic, asexual MCs, the first hand clasps and the first kiss in this series offer some of the most exciting sexual chemistry I've ever read.
Another thing I especially like about this series is that it is accurately advertised as "cozy" romantasy. As such, it contains significant threats of violence and actual physical attacks upon Rylana and Jildarin by multiple intimidating villains, but the resolution of this external conflict avoids gruesome consequences and a tone of unremitting grimness, which is common in non-cozy fantasy. In addition, there is emphasis on friendly, supportive connection with found family and members of the local community.
Finally, though this series is told entirely from the POV of the FMC, rather than the dual POV of her and her love interest, which is common in mainstream romance, it is written in close-third-person POV, in past tense, which is the most invisible, unobtrusive way to structure a novel geared toward romance fans, because that's how traditionally published romance has been written for generations.
June 9, 2026
As I was looking for book recommendations on my Kindle, this book popped up on sale at just 99 cents. Just the concept of a dragon chef at a humble diner sounds very fun, and then having a former enemy become one of his employees sounded intriguing, so I decided to buy it and give it a try. And, well, it's most definitely not what I expected.
I genuinely don't know what to think about this story. I wouldn't say it's badly written, but it is often a bit verbose, to the point where the characters don't feel very authentic based on their speech patterns, with the exception of the dragons themselves, as they seem to view themselves as cultured, even royalty. When the dialogue gets less verbose and more casual, it feels much more authentic. Likewise, the story kinda spins its wheels a bit, just constantly pondering on how to improve the business, on how main character Rylana holds no bad intentions towards Jildarin the dragon, on Rylana and her friend Sylin talking about these things as they drink coffee, it's rather repetitive, I would have liked to see more to flesh out the characters. Things such as an unexpected dragon battle and trying out menu items helped to liven up the proceedings.
The description of the story made it sound like it would be quite cozy, but I wouldn't say it was. It felt like it sometimes, but not always. It's very adult in that there are clear references to sex, namely because Jildarin uses dragon spices in his cooking, which can make people become aroused to the point they cannot resist having sex and throwing themselves at someone else, but yet the sex itself is so watered down and censored (for example, making up names for male anatomy and using the word "coitus" constantly) that it makes me wonder why the author added it at all. Like, if you're gonna add something, commit to it. I dunno about anyone else, but I'm no prude, sexual themes won't turn me off of a story.
The characters are kind of a mixed bag. The antagonist is used well, and a certain character gives a bad first impression but manages to turn it around later, which is always appreciated in a story. Some characters are fine, some fall flat. Main character Rylana is likable enough, but beyond her archery skills and ability with numbers, and just being a nice person in general, we don't get to know much of what makes her tic, or at least that's how it felt to me. She was adamant in helping Jildarin make a profit at work, and prepare for the culinary competition he is so eager about, but the book never quite goes into her reasons for why she's so adamant about helping him, at least beyond him being physically attractive. It could have been as easy as her wanting to make amends for scarring him during the war, but we didn't even get that.
Jildarin himself was easily the star of the show and the most interesting and engaging character. He was often stoic and terse, but had a kind side, and a temperamental side, and him being a chef makes him unique. I mean, when have you ever heard of a dragon chef? Getting to see his kind side was always welcome because even from the start you can tell it's there, but it's easier to see when people truly earn his trust. The backstory of why he decided to become a chef made sense and was well written, giving him depth and making him even more likable.
But I have a big problem with Jildarin, and that is that for this series, the author made it so dragons are shapeshifters, and thus, Jildarin spends pretty much like 98% of the story as a human. That really dampened my enjoyment of the story big-time, because I cannot understand why him shapeshifting into a human and spending most of the story as a human is necessary. The main hook of the story is that there's a dragon chef. How difficult could it have been to make him shrink down to a size where he can be in a kitchen? Or, since he's a shapeshifter, shift into a humanoid dragon, like, an anthropomorphic dragon, just a dragon with a human-like body, two legs, two feet, two arms, hands with opposable thumbs? It's nothing out of the ordinary, we see those types in cartoons and video games a lot of the time. Making Jildarin be a shifter who spends almost the whole story as a human, it just makes me feel like, why even bother making him a dragon at all? Seriously, I kept picturing him as an anthropomorphic dragon in my head while reading the book, I couldn't help it. If I buy a book about a dragon, I want to read about an actual dragon, not a dragon playing at human.
As for a final thing of note, I have no clue how this will play out, but the author sets up a potential romance here between Jildarin and Rylana. She finds him very handsome from the start but doesn't realize she's attracted to him until later, but still, nothing romantic ever happens. In fact, Jildarin gives vibes of being asexual and not being interested in romance. Whether they become a romantic couple further into the series or they never get romantic at all, I must give kudos to the author for not getting these two together from the get-go. I've seen authors really rush romances in stories, so to find one that's either making it be a slow burn or just not be a romance at all, it's very refreshing.
Like I said from the start, I genuinely don't know what to think of this story. It had a whole bunch of flaws, but even so, it did manage to keep me engaged and had some pretty positive things going for it. I've decided to settle on giving it a three-star rating. I don't know if I'll continue the series or not, but I'm open to it. It has great potential, absolutely. I just wish the dragon remained a dragon all the time, and yes, I will die on that hill.
I genuinely don't know what to think about this story. I wouldn't say it's badly written, but it is often a bit verbose, to the point where the characters don't feel very authentic based on their speech patterns, with the exception of the dragons themselves, as they seem to view themselves as cultured, even royalty. When the dialogue gets less verbose and more casual, it feels much more authentic. Likewise, the story kinda spins its wheels a bit, just constantly pondering on how to improve the business, on how main character Rylana holds no bad intentions towards Jildarin the dragon, on Rylana and her friend Sylin talking about these things as they drink coffee, it's rather repetitive, I would have liked to see more to flesh out the characters. Things such as an unexpected dragon battle and trying out menu items helped to liven up the proceedings.
The description of the story made it sound like it would be quite cozy, but I wouldn't say it was. It felt like it sometimes, but not always. It's very adult in that there are clear references to sex, namely because Jildarin uses dragon spices in his cooking, which can make people become aroused to the point they cannot resist having sex and throwing themselves at someone else, but yet the sex itself is so watered down and censored (for example, making up names for male anatomy and using the word "coitus" constantly) that it makes me wonder why the author added it at all. Like, if you're gonna add something, commit to it. I dunno about anyone else, but I'm no prude, sexual themes won't turn me off of a story.
The characters are kind of a mixed bag. The antagonist is used well, and a certain character gives a bad first impression but manages to turn it around later, which is always appreciated in a story. Some characters are fine, some fall flat. Main character Rylana is likable enough, but beyond her archery skills and ability with numbers, and just being a nice person in general, we don't get to know much of what makes her tic, or at least that's how it felt to me. She was adamant in helping Jildarin make a profit at work, and prepare for the culinary competition he is so eager about, but the book never quite goes into her reasons for why she's so adamant about helping him, at least beyond him being physically attractive. It could have been as easy as her wanting to make amends for scarring him during the war, but we didn't even get that.
Jildarin himself was easily the star of the show and the most interesting and engaging character. He was often stoic and terse, but had a kind side, and a temperamental side, and him being a chef makes him unique. I mean, when have you ever heard of a dragon chef? Getting to see his kind side was always welcome because even from the start you can tell it's there, but it's easier to see when people truly earn his trust. The backstory of why he decided to become a chef made sense and was well written, giving him depth and making him even more likable.
But I have a big problem with Jildarin, and that is that for this series, the author made it so dragons are shapeshifters, and thus, Jildarin spends pretty much like 98% of the story as a human. That really dampened my enjoyment of the story big-time, because I cannot understand why him shapeshifting into a human and spending most of the story as a human is necessary. The main hook of the story is that there's a dragon chef. How difficult could it have been to make him shrink down to a size where he can be in a kitchen? Or, since he's a shapeshifter, shift into a humanoid dragon, like, an anthropomorphic dragon, just a dragon with a human-like body, two legs, two feet, two arms, hands with opposable thumbs? It's nothing out of the ordinary, we see those types in cartoons and video games a lot of the time. Making Jildarin be a shifter who spends almost the whole story as a human, it just makes me feel like, why even bother making him a dragon at all? Seriously, I kept picturing him as an anthropomorphic dragon in my head while reading the book, I couldn't help it. If I buy a book about a dragon, I want to read about an actual dragon, not a dragon playing at human.
As for a final thing of note, I have no clue how this will play out, but the author sets up a potential romance here between Jildarin and Rylana. She finds him very handsome from the start but doesn't realize she's attracted to him until later, but still, nothing romantic ever happens. In fact, Jildarin gives vibes of being asexual and not being interested in romance. Whether they become a romantic couple further into the series or they never get romantic at all, I must give kudos to the author for not getting these two together from the get-go. I've seen authors really rush romances in stories, so to find one that's either making it be a slow burn or just not be a romance at all, it's very refreshing.
Like I said from the start, I genuinely don't know what to think of this story. It had a whole bunch of flaws, but even so, it did manage to keep me engaged and had some pretty positive things going for it. I've decided to settle on giving it a three-star rating. I don't know if I'll continue the series or not, but I'm open to it. It has great potential, absolutely. I just wish the dragon remained a dragon all the time, and yes, I will die on that hill.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2026
1.5 not even sure why I even finished it
September 15, 2026
Released in Spring 2026, this novel was the perfect pick for the "Lush Life" TBR Challenge prompt. The story immerses you in luxury culinary arts, decadent treats, and a rich, high-end fantasy dining atmosphere filled with magical clientele and wealthy dragon shifters.
I am so glad I picked this up as my next listen. It was an absolute blast diving into such a whimsical, cozy adventure. The banter is delightful, and the characters immediately pull you in with their quirky, distinct personalities.
Raylana, an ex-mercenary, is searching for a new path after the war and she returns to her hometown only to realize she urgently needs work. The only business hiring is owned by Jildarin—a dragon chef she personally wounded during the war.
Raylana is smart, feisty, compassionate, and delightfully reckless. Meanwhile, Jildarin’s complete lack of business sense and total obsession with cooking creates fantastic comedic moments as their connection naturally evolves from former enemies to close partners.
At its core, this is a heartwarming story about new beginnings, community, and fresh starts. Raylana not only navigates her evolving partnership with Jildarin, but she also reconnects reluctantly with her formidable father and tackles an intriguing mystery along the way.
Audio: Vivienne Leheny did a dazzling job with the narration! She gave every character a distinct voice and personality, maintaining a smooth, perfectly kept pace throughout. Listening to her performance was a complete joy.
Overall, Calculated Whisk was a magically fun audiobook. If you love character-driven cozy fantasy filled with humor, unique dynamics, and a touch of whimsy, this is an excellent choice. I’m definitely looking forward to continuing the series!
Rated: 4 Stars
I am so glad I picked this up as my next listen. It was an absolute blast diving into such a whimsical, cozy adventure. The banter is delightful, and the characters immediately pull you in with their quirky, distinct personalities.
Raylana, an ex-mercenary, is searching for a new path after the war and she returns to her hometown only to realize she urgently needs work. The only business hiring is owned by Jildarin—a dragon chef she personally wounded during the war.
Raylana is smart, feisty, compassionate, and delightfully reckless. Meanwhile, Jildarin’s complete lack of business sense and total obsession with cooking creates fantastic comedic moments as their connection naturally evolves from former enemies to close partners.
At its core, this is a heartwarming story about new beginnings, community, and fresh starts. Raylana not only navigates her evolving partnership with Jildarin, but she also reconnects reluctantly with her formidable father and tackles an intriguing mystery along the way.
Audio: Vivienne Leheny did a dazzling job with the narration! She gave every character a distinct voice and personality, maintaining a smooth, perfectly kept pace throughout. Listening to her performance was a complete joy.
Overall, Calculated Whisk was a magically fun audiobook. If you love character-driven cozy fantasy filled with humor, unique dynamics, and a touch of whimsy, this is an excellent choice. I’m definitely looking forward to continuing the series!
Rated: 4 Stars
August 28, 2026
I love a good cozy fantasy and the idea of a dragon chef really appealed to me but from the first page I could tell this wasn't really the book I was looking for. The writing just isn't very good and most of the characters are just names. Jildarin is definitely the best character with his formal demeanor, fiery temper, and possible asexuality, though I hated the whole storyline about female dragons trying to mate with him against his will. What probably annoyed me most was that so much of the dialogue is stilted to the point of taking me out of the story.
I especially hated the way the book ended with a lot of threads still hanging loose to make you read the next book. This has happened to me too many times and I'm tired of it. And really there's not much of a plot, which would be okay if there were strong characters, good dialogue, etc. But there isn't so it's kind of dull.
So basically this is a light fantasy but I wouldn't really call it cozy because most characters aren't endearing and they don't really come together emotionally in a way that's believable or heartwarming. I think this book is what I needed to read right now, but I don't see any reason to read the next one.
I especially hated the way the book ended with a lot of threads still hanging loose to make you read the next book. This has happened to me too many times and I'm tired of it. And really there's not much of a plot, which would be okay if there were strong characters, good dialogue, etc. But there isn't so it's kind of dull.
So basically this is a light fantasy but I wouldn't really call it cozy because most characters aren't endearing and they don't really come together emotionally in a way that's believable or heartwarming. I think this book is what I needed to read right now, but I don't see any reason to read the next one.
September 21, 2026
A cozy, fun read with lots of chuckle-worthy banter and snark.
June 1, 2026
Enjoyable fantasy adventure
The worldbuilding is interesting, Ryalan is believable and likeable, and the story is entertaining and low stress. There is a minor amount of violence (dragon on dragon) and slightly more spice-induced mildly graphic sex (details mostly left to the imagination).
The worldbuilding is interesting, Ryalan is believable and likeable, and the story is entertaining and low stress. There is a minor amount of violence (dragon on dragon) and slightly more spice-induced mildly graphic sex (details mostly left to the imagination).
May 28, 2026
Loved it.
I always love Lindsay Buroker books and this one was a pleasure to read. My only complaint is that it wasn't longer! I can barely wait till the next one comes out in 6 days. 🙃
I always love Lindsay Buroker books and this one was a pleasure to read. My only complaint is that it wasn't longer! I can barely wait till the next one comes out in 6 days. 🙃
Did Not Finish
August 13, 2026DNF'd this one about 50 minutes in
It has been a while since I read a Lindsay Buroker book, but when I saw this cozy fantasy one I knew I had to give it a try. Sadly it just didn't work for me. I feel like I've read to many of the author's books and a lot of the themes and vibes are just the same. And it didn't really feel cozy yet. Anyway the plot and characters weren’t grabbing my attention and it just reminded me of why I stopped reading her books, which is sad as I used to really liked them, but the recent ones I tried I just haven't been able to enjoy as much. Maybe I'll do a re-read of one of the series I really liked one of these days.
It has been a while since I read a Lindsay Buroker book, but when I saw this cozy fantasy one I knew I had to give it a try. Sadly it just didn't work for me. I feel like I've read to many of the author's books and a lot of the themes and vibes are just the same. And it didn't really feel cozy yet. Anyway the plot and characters weren’t grabbing my attention and it just reminded me of why I stopped reading her books, which is sad as I used to really liked them, but the recent ones I tried I just haven't been able to enjoy as much. Maybe I'll do a re-read of one of the series I really liked one of these days.
June 6, 2026
A "retired" mercenary, a dragon and a standoffish elf should have been a home run based on the author's previous success, but disappointingly these characters were definitely not the next Val, Sindari and Lord Zav. I really wanted to love this new series, but I found the story flat and uninteresting. The dialogue was clunky and although there were all the components for snarky interactions, I just felt like they missed their mark.
June 27, 2026
It wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. The conversations seemed to be stilted and a little bit odd, especially between the main character and her elven friend. I suppose that it should have somehow distinguish the difference between humans and elves but it was more ridiculous instead. I liked the scene from the competition but didn't understand why dragon spices had to make people horny... just to add something that is supposed to be in? Anyway, I don't think I will read a follow up.
June 18, 2026
A new must-read for cozy fantasy fans! Loveable characters, a fun plot, and wickedly funny!
(No spice per se, but there is some pretty crude humor. Dragon seasonings have certain... effects on people.)
(No spice per se, but there is some pretty crude humor. Dragon seasonings have certain... effects on people.)
July 5, 2026
Rylana the mercenary comes home from war and seeks a job. Her companion, Sylvana the assassin, accompanies her and both seek traditional work, weary of war and killing foes.
Rylan’s eventually finds work as a bookkeeper,being skilled with math and numbers and goes to work for the well known Dragon Diner, which is struggling to stay open. The Dragon chef Jilandra struggles to accept Rylan’s since she attempted to kill him in the war, (Rylan’s maintains it was NOT personal - he was after all attempting to kill her, and others in their division) but they manage to settle into an uneasy detente. She desperately needs the work and he desperately needs the help.
Rylana eventually becomes a dragon wrangler of sorts, keeping Jilandra calm in a variety of awkward and difficult situations, and she manages to sell off part of his excess equipment inventory (due to a kitchen helper erroneously buying multiple pieces of equipment) and move Jilandra into some financial stability so he doesn’t have to reach out to his wealthy family for assistance that comes with a great price.
Rylan’s and Jilandra also manage to move into a cautionary trust of each other when Rylan’s, along with Sylvana, save the diner more than once, from foes who wish Jilandra harm and attempt to burn his restaurant down to the ground.
As the famed Golden Whisk competition moves closer, with Jilandra one of the competitors, the “heat” and sabotage attempts increase, requiring more of Rylana’s vigilance, but Jilandra makes it safely to the contest - though without his dragon spices which were eliminated by a pesky would be arsonist.
The competition proceeds, though not without risk to the competing chefs, and once finished, the winner takes the Golden Whisk to be proudly displayed in their establishment and the story ends on a high note.
With a great deal of charm and entertainment provided by the feisty characters and hilarity wrangling a dragon into appropriate human behavior, this is a delicious novel and absolutely worthwhile read
Rylan’s eventually finds work as a bookkeeper,being skilled with math and numbers and goes to work for the well known Dragon Diner, which is struggling to stay open. The Dragon chef Jilandra struggles to accept Rylan’s since she attempted to kill him in the war, (Rylan’s maintains it was NOT personal - he was after all attempting to kill her, and others in their division) but they manage to settle into an uneasy detente. She desperately needs the work and he desperately needs the help.
Rylana eventually becomes a dragon wrangler of sorts, keeping Jilandra calm in a variety of awkward and difficult situations, and she manages to sell off part of his excess equipment inventory (due to a kitchen helper erroneously buying multiple pieces of equipment) and move Jilandra into some financial stability so he doesn’t have to reach out to his wealthy family for assistance that comes with a great price.
Rylan’s and Jilandra also manage to move into a cautionary trust of each other when Rylan’s, along with Sylvana, save the diner more than once, from foes who wish Jilandra harm and attempt to burn his restaurant down to the ground.
As the famed Golden Whisk competition moves closer, with Jilandra one of the competitors, the “heat” and sabotage attempts increase, requiring more of Rylana’s vigilance, but Jilandra makes it safely to the contest - though without his dragon spices which were eliminated by a pesky would be arsonist.
The competition proceeds, though not without risk to the competing chefs, and once finished, the winner takes the Golden Whisk to be proudly displayed in their establishment and the story ends on a high note.
With a great deal of charm and entertainment provided by the feisty characters and hilarity wrangling a dragon into appropriate human behavior, this is a delicious novel and absolutely worthwhile read
June 7, 2026
Returning to her home town after running off from her wealthy family to become a mercenary makes things a little complicated for Rylana. But not nearly as complicated as applying for a bookkeeping job at a diner owned by a dragon she went up against during her mercenary days. Considering Jildarin remembers her and still holds a grudge (which is understandable, really), her new non-merc life is starting out swimmingly.
But Rylana is determined and persistent and soon she's balancing the books (such as they are) and selling diner overstock under the suspicious glare of a grumpy dragon. A grumpy dragon who really just wants to show off his culinary skills and who doesn't want any fornicating in his diner (an unfortunate side effect of some of his spice mixtures, as it turns out). Well, actually, he also REALLY wants to win the Golden Whisk cooking contest.
Unfortunately for Jildarin, certain individuals in town aren't thrilled with having a dragon running a diner OR being entered into the upcoming contest. So Rylana has her work cut out for her both making sure the diner pulls a profit and making sure Jildarin doesn't lose his chance to cook in the contest.
Some complicated family dynamics (on several fronts), spices that rock people's world, a grumpy dragon who just wants to cook, and a former mercenary who wants to see the big guy succeed. GOOD TIMES!
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
But Rylana is determined and persistent and soon she's balancing the books (such as they are) and selling diner overstock under the suspicious glare of a grumpy dragon. A grumpy dragon who really just wants to show off his culinary skills and who doesn't want any fornicating in his diner (an unfortunate side effect of some of his spice mixtures, as it turns out). Well, actually, he also REALLY wants to win the Golden Whisk cooking contest.
Unfortunately for Jildarin, certain individuals in town aren't thrilled with having a dragon running a diner OR being entered into the upcoming contest. So Rylana has her work cut out for her both making sure the diner pulls a profit and making sure Jildarin doesn't lose his chance to cook in the contest.
Some complicated family dynamics (on several fronts), spices that rock people's world, a grumpy dragon who just wants to cook, and a former mercenary who wants to see the big guy succeed. GOOD TIMES!
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
August 14, 2026
As a former mercenary, Rylana wants to make amends for her role in the recent war. So when she stumbles upon a diner owned by a dragon chef and recognizes him as a former foe, she steps in and offers to untangle his chaotic finances. As the daughter of a shipping magnate, she has business skills that he desperately needs. But all Jildarin wants to do is to win the Golden Whisk competition. At first, he is suspicious of her motives and only grudgingly accepts her assistance. But as she helps him defend against a determined rival and hidden enemies, Rylana begins to earn his trust. This lighthearted tale is a breezy read with a hint of romance and quirky characters that will leave you with a smile.
September 19, 2026
This was a silly and relatively simple cozy fantasy story. I like the fact that the main characters are veterans trying to adjust to peacetime life. The horny soup shtick gets old after a while but not to the point of irritating me. I like the main character, her grumpy dragon love interest, and her murderous extremely-attractive elf best friend. The cooking competition that ended the book was surprisingly anticlimactic. I would be willing to read the next book in the series, but mostly as an amusing background audiobook.
July 28, 2026
Cute. This author's style is always and amusing and fun. I like the difference here with the dragon with the cooking and find the psychological history with the war impact on both of them an interesting touch.
August 25, 2026
Really enjoyed this, listened to it and was narrated well . Fun and easy to listen to, feel good story with some humour and great descriptions of food ! Personally I really like Lindsay Buroker as an author.
June 11, 2026
starting to wonder if cozy fantasy is for me because why was i searching for a plot when it's about a dragon who wants to be a restaurant owner like let him be one in peace
September 26, 2026
It's hard not to enjoy a story involving dragons. 😁
July 25, 2026
July 2026
Kindle edition
Wasn't sure about this one. Kept seeing it on the kindle page, finally decided to give it a try. It was fun. A mercenary working for the dragon she shot. The friend was interesting. Quite a few questionable characters. Will read the next one at some point.
Kindle edition
Wasn't sure about this one. Kept seeing it on the kindle page, finally decided to give it a try. It was fun. A mercenary working for the dragon she shot. The friend was interesting. Quite a few questionable characters. Will read the next one at some point.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2026
Not sure why but I just couldn't get into this book no matter how much I tried.
July 16, 2026
Cute!
I have been a long time fan of Buroker for years! Another great novel that is just so cozy and a quick read. Definitely recommend!
I have been a long time fan of Buroker for years! Another great novel that is just so cozy and a quick read. Definitely recommend!
July 29, 2026
Loyalty
Another great book by Lindsay Buroker. A great new story in the world of multiple races Elves, Goblins, Dwarfs, Gnomes, Humsns and Dragons.
Rylana has returned to her home to for some peace and quiet. After a life as a mercenary. After returning from war against the Dragons and Elves, probobly applying for a job at a diner owned by a dragon is not a good idea. Making it worse it if you has attacked said dragon in the past. However Rylana sees both of these as redemption and a challenge. Yet despite the laws and magic against crime and violence in the town of Tranquility, there is not shortage of behind the scenes shenanigans.
I enjoyed everything about this book. Great characters and lots of intrigue. I am looking forward to see where things go from here.
Another great book by Lindsay Buroker. A great new story in the world of multiple races Elves, Goblins, Dwarfs, Gnomes, Humsns and Dragons.
Rylana has returned to her home to for some peace and quiet. After a life as a mercenary. After returning from war against the Dragons and Elves, probobly applying for a job at a diner owned by a dragon is not a good idea. Making it worse it if you has attacked said dragon in the past. However Rylana sees both of these as redemption and a challenge. Yet despite the laws and magic against crime and violence in the town of Tranquility, there is not shortage of behind the scenes shenanigans.
I enjoyed everything about this book. Great characters and lots of intrigue. I am looking forward to see where things go from here.
September 26, 2026
Cosy story which reminded me of Buroker’s series like Death Before Dragons and the spinn offs.
Just rusing in to write this down before binging the other published book in this series. 🙂
Just rusing in to write this down before binging the other published book in this series. 🙂
June 18, 2026
Fluffy and fun. I'm looking forward to the next book.
July 12, 2026
a fun read
Leave it to L. Buroker to spin another tale with wit, mystery and magic. Throw in a Dragon, an assassin, and a bookkeeper turned mercenary turned bookkeeper and you have first rate storytelling. I am looking forward to continuing the series, cause you know the romance is coming.
Leave it to L. Buroker to spin another tale with wit, mystery and magic. Throw in a Dragon, an assassin, and a bookkeeper turned mercenary turned bookkeeper and you have first rate storytelling. I am looking forward to continuing the series, cause you know the romance is coming.
August 20, 2026
this was a rare fail from this author - the story lacked joy, pacing and much of a plot. It felt like there were chapters and chapters of Raylana chatting to her elf assassain friend about absolutely nothing, conversation after conversation about coffee and a whole bunch of nothing.
I was kind of bored.
And whilst I didn't mind the dragon cooking angle - felt it lacked pacing, and doesn't really get going until the last 2 chapters - prior to that there's a lot of nothing much happening.
None of the characters, including Raylana, are that likeable.
this was a chore to finish.
I was kind of bored.
And whilst I didn't mind the dragon cooking angle - felt it lacked pacing, and doesn't really get going until the last 2 chapters - prior to that there's a lot of nothing much happening.
None of the characters, including Raylana, are that likeable.
this was a chore to finish.
August 12, 2026
Honestly this read like the most boring DnD campaign to ever exist. The beginning dragged, the writing was doing backflips to explain every nuance and lore possible instead of showing it and moving the plot along. There is a semblance of a story here but the writing and dialogue could have been cut down by a hundred pages or more. Hopefully the next installment gets better.
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