In the Embrace of Dragons: A Royal Why Choose Monster Romance

by Lyonne Riley

A grumpy dragon king, his new human queen, and their captain of the guard in an arranged marriage with a twist.

Princess Nissia has always been destined to be married off to the king of the dragons, but she didn't expect how grouchy and closed off her new husband would be. Alone in a new country, she finds herself turning to Ragnakor, the kind, protective captain of the guard.

King Vizarios never wanted to marry, especially not a human. He’s always held a candle for Ragnakor, but they both know there can be no relationship between them as long as the king must fulfill his duty to the realm. Though Vizarios has pledged to feel nothing for his new wife, when he and Nissia must consummate the marriage publicly, sparks fly.

Ragnakor believes that at last, his king has found happiness. But the stoic captain is developing feelings for Nissia, too, and Vizarios won’t let him go.

Can the three lovers find a way when the dragon kingdom demands an heir?

This is a steamy, why choose romance with MM, MF, and MMF content. In these pages you'll find yearning, a slow burn, a redemption arc, public displays, size difference, breeding, and a grumpy/sunshine/stoic dynamic. In the end, no one has to choose.

Genres: M M F, Fiction, Dragons, Erotica, Enemies To Lovers

296 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 7, 2026

About the author

Lyonne Riley writes super steamy monster romance, fantasy romance, and sci-fi romance. She lives in the middle of nowhere with her spouse and two dogs, writing spicy fairy tales.

Reviews

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced copy via the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm a big fan of Lyonne Riley's paranormal romances and always jump at the chance when I can read them early. In the Embrace of Dragons was a Why Choose collection between a king, queen, and their heavily muscled captain of the guard. In my opinion, the king definitely benefitted the most from this arrangement and his new bride got the short end of the...log. I liked this universe abounding with dragons and I could not stop thinking about Dragon Tales. I'm a millennial, it happens. My favorite character Ragnakor had the personality of Ord and the appearance of Quetzal. If you're a hardcore fan, you'll know I'm right. MMF isn't my favorite alphabetical arrangement because I feel like the female is always an afterthought and it's very daintily misogynistic. Personal preference aside, this was an interesting paranormal romance and I got what I wanted in the end. It's not my favorite of hers, but by no means my least. I got my burly dragons and now I need to watch some PBS telly.

[august · Rating 5 out of 5]

The arc of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

oh this was AMAZING

the miscommunication??? the yearning??? i loved everything about this book and will be rereading soon probably. it wasn’t just smut either, there was plot and everything. it felt like a well loved fanfiction honestly, like one i’d go back and read when i missed the characters.

[Zahra (Bookish_Platypus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book but it wasn't for me unfortunately.

This story could've possibly been too long for what it was. I think there was a lot of back and forth with desires and forgiveness that came too easily - there were opportunities to make the story more interesting in those places but I don't think those opportunities were taken. I also wanted more from the world and I wanted true emotions because it was very much just about wanting to have s*x rather than an emotional connection. I'm honestly not sure if the two MMCs even had any hobbies? We know very little about them and their backgrounds other than one being royalty and orphaned.

Unfortunately I found myself more bored than anything with the story. Even the spicy scenes felt basic and very rinse and repeat. Nothing in this book kept my attention and it mostly fell flat.

I do still think there was potential in the world and premise. The writing itself was fine too, but this story didn't impress me.


Thank you to Lyonne Riley for the advanced copy!

[Disgusted Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

The summaries always reel me in but after cracking open this book im just unimpressed.

[Molly Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Embrace of Dragons

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you so much to Lyonne Riley for an e-ARC of In the Embrace of Dragons in exchange for my review!

Another day another new Lyonne Riley book to obsess over! I have the absolute honour of being part of Lyonne’s permanent ARC team so I am able to read her latest releases ASAP.

In the Embrace of Dragons is set in a medival-esq fantasy world, where monsters and humans coincide, in relative peace. But this peace can only be sustained through alliances between neighbouring kingdoms. And what better way to form an alliance with the dragons than to marry your only daughter to their king? Princess Nissia has always known she was destined to marry the King of the Dragons. As a woman, she can only accept her fate and hope to find happiness with her betrothed.

But King Vizarios never wanted to marry, particularly not to a lowly human - with her strange face and customs. But his kingdom depends on the truce with the human kingdom, and the marriage was arranged by his mother before her death. Now, as he collects his bride, he feels as though he is on his way to the gallows. This is worsened by the fact that he has already given away his heart to his Captain of the Guard, Ragnakor. He is determined to feel nothing for his human wife.

But, as is custom, he must consummate his marriage in front of all the wardens of his kingdom. What he certainly wasn’t expecting was to ENJOY himself - for his scent glands to release and for sparks to fly. Now he finds himself unwillingly gravitating to the women, despite his better judgement and feelings for the quiet Captain.

Ragnakor, only wants his King to be happy - even if that means that happiness is with someone else. But the kingdom needs a Queen and he is not nobleborn. Even so, since the moment he met Queen Nissia, he has found kinship in her. From her fierce independence to her cleverness and skill with a sword. He knows she is the perfect Queen for the King - while also developing feelings of his own for her.

But with the King refusing to accept her, while also refusing to let Ragnakor go, the fate of the Kingdom rests on the Captain facilitating a romance between the royals. But with Vizarios continuing to make a poor impression upon the Queen, his job may be more difficult than he planned. Particularly when romance begins to blossom between the three of them.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. This book features: . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
🐉 Arranged Marriage
✨ Why Choose/Polyamory (MM, MF, MMF)
🐉 Dragon MMCs x Human FMC
✨ DP
🐉 Daddy Dom - but make it fantasy - “Papa”
✨Breeding/Pregnancy
🐉 PINING
✨ Love Triangle to Love Triad
🐉AP
✨Public Sex

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. Potential Triggers . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
🐉 Grieving
✨ MF Infertility
🐉 Hunting
✨ Parental Death (off-page)

I like to think of myself as a seasoned Lyonne reader at this point, but I am always stunned when another book tops my favourite. While I was excited to read ITEOD - I was not anticipating it would become my newest favourite Lyonne book.

Nissia was my favourite kind of FMC. She is independent, kind and fierce in the best ways. She has spent her life protected and expected to fulfil the expectations of her father and her birth. Despite knowing all her life, she had a role
in life to be the perfect future Queen to the Dragon King, she has not let that break her spirit. I loved seeing how much of a badass she was - learning to swordfight, hunting for her own meal and being a force to be reckoned with. But despite this there is a softness to her - an ache to be loved and cared for, outside of her duty to provide heirs. Nissia goes through ALOT in this book. Without spoiling too much, the relationship between Nissia and Vizarios is tremulous at best at the beginning of this book and she is treated herendously. This leads to a great deal of self-doubt and depression, but despite this she is determined to fulfil her role as Queen. I loved her poise and her gentle heart.

Vizarios is a difficult character at the start of this book, but it is not long until you realise it comes from a place of grief and hurt. Vizarios is King and was shoehorned into the position upon the death of his mother, whom he loved fiercely. He not only has to come to grips with the role of leader of his Kingdom, but also try and deal with the death of his mother. All while knowing that the relationship that bloomed in his grief, is one that would be frowned upon and cause anarchy within his kingdom. This leads to alot of resentment towards Nissia, for what she represents. This culminates in him acting, like an absolute ass, for lack of a better description. He is stubborn and acts spoilt - but deep down yearns for someone to see what he is struggling with. Little does he know that the person he is outwardly rejecting is the one that understands his pain the best.

Ragnakor is the thread that stitches Vizarios and Nissia together, and I was obsessed with him from the start. He is the quiet, thoughtful and visually intimidating Captain of the Guard. His duty first and foremost is to the King and he would do anything to ensure his happiness. It is CLEAR from the start that he loves Vizarios and wants what is best for him and their kingdom. He is THE archetype for self-sacrifical gentle giant. Despite this he can also see that Vizarios is being an self-destructive ass - and tries to fix what the King is trying to break. I loved the friendship that blossoms between Nissia and Ragnakor and how their relationship grows. His role in their relationship is definitely one of the protector and I ADORED him - by far my favourite character in ITEOD.

I was obsessed with the dynamic between the three of them! While on the shorter side, their romance FEELS like a slow burn. Obviously this is not in regards to the spice, but rather the emotions. While there is CERTAINLY spice and a lot of it. The development of emotional connections between Nissia, Vazarios and Ragnakor take much longer to establish/become obvious to all parties. I was obsessed with Vazarios’s courting of Nissia and seeing Ragnakor awkwardly try and push them together, while also courting her (unbeknownst to him). I also adored seeing how their individual personalities complemented each other - each coming out of their shells when others in their triad needed it. Their relationship was surprisingly wholesome for how absolutely FILTHY the spice was. 😏

I also LOVED the side characters, I would LOVE to see a Zephala and Ari book/novella in the future - the absolute chaos I can image those two getting in would be a delight. Particularly if Quillion is involved.

Overall, this was phenomenal. The spice was delightful- and just as hot as her usual offerings, if not more. The drama and yearning were absolute perfection. And despite the conflict, it still felt cosy. ITEOD is the perfect monster romance read for those looking for a spicy read with Game of Thrones vibes where the DRAGONS are the mmcs. I am OBSESSED.

In the Embrace of Dragons is out TODAY - 7th August!

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. Playlist. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
🐉 Ordinary by Alex Warren
✨Golden Brown by The Stranglers
🐉 The Seed by Aurora
✨ My Blood by Ellie Goulding
🐉 Where’s My Love - Alternate Version by SYML


. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. Fave Quotes. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
🐉 “Princess Nissia has always been destined to be married off to the king of the dragons, but she didn't expect how grouchy and closed off her new husband would be.”
✨”My father has known from the beginning that this was my fate—to be traded away for some greater purpose. I love him, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve always known that love had an expiration date.”
🐉 “When I get home, I ought to try to find a mate of my own, so I can stop feeling this longing for someone I’ll never have.”
✨”I’ve always envied that, how he can be some of both things and he never feels ill at ease. I am always ill at ease. There is only one of me now, the royalty, the king, and I will forever be alone in that.”
🐉 “I’ve always lived under my father’s thumb. He demands a certain kind of prim daughter, a princess in all ways. Thus, I dress up in disguise when I want to practice swordplay. It was the only way I would ever be able to learn.”
✨ “The captain of the guard seems friendly enough, unlike Vizarios. Perhaps we can become friends. That would be nice, I think.”
🐉 “I already lost the one closest to me. I’m not going to lose him, too.”
✨ “I’m glad I can provide this one thing for her, as much as I wish I could do more.”
🐉 “I may feel nothing for this woman in my heart, but my body is certainly interested in her, which is the most I could ask of it.”
✨ ““No.” He shivers. “I can’t ever love you. It’s impossible.” “Why?” I ask, my voice rising. But I already know this was a mistake, to even bring up the idea. I made myself vulnerable and I shouldn’t have. “What is your problem with me?” Vizarios drops his gaze from mine. “Because I love someone else.””
🐉 ““I don’t need my husband to love me to do my job. So I’m not going to get in the way.””
✨ ““So I have one rule.” Nissia holds up her index finger. “You can do what you like. The two of you can have this relationship, if you truly want, as long as you keep it quiet. Maintain the image of unity in the eyes of the kingdom, right?” Vizarios nods dumbly. My own heart is racing much too fast, though, anticipating what she might say next. “I will not get in the way of you two pursuing as you choose. But my rule... is that you must let me watch.””
🐉 “No one needs me. No one wants me. I wish that I had something to keep me rooted to the earth, or I might just float away. If I did, would anyone notice?”
✨ “No. I don’t need her. I won’t expose my fragile, beating heart to her, not when I have the dragon I’ve always loved.”
🐉 “Something about seeing Nissia cradling her new puppy in a gentle embrace stirs me up. She is... handsome, in a way no other human is. Her mouth is so striking, her furry eyebrows expressive and sweet. The maternal way in which she gazes down at her new friend warms my heart and makes me imagine her with offspring of her own.”
✨ “I wish that he had been the king, rather than Vizarios. I could be married to someone like Ragnakor. Obviously, I do not have that choice.”
🐉 ““You don’t seem like the kind of person who has lost hope.” “Sometimes it helps. If you don’t have any hopes, nothing can disappoint you.””
✨”My thoughts stray to Ragnakor. Someone like him... he would be safe for me. I know I’d be able to trust him. He would never lie to me or discard me when I wasn’t useful anymore. But he’s not mine. He loves Vizarios the way I wish someone loved me.”
🐉“But I can learn,” Vizarios goes on. “I am also trainable.”
✨ “When she notices me, a big smile lights up Nissia’s face, and my heart gives an answering tug.”
🐉“Can I... Can I have you again? Please? My wife?”
✨ “Perhaps it’s that I feel used. Did he ever care for me? Was he ever attracted to me? Or was I just a pawn?”
🐉 ““I want him just as much. And maybe that’s greedy of me, to want both of them, but...” “But it’s what your heart wants,” Ari finishes.”
✨”“I won’t leave you again,” I go on, kissing down her palm, then along her arm. The tiny hairs on her skin stand on end, which is a fascinating reaction. “As long as you want me, I will never walk away.””
🐉 “She is fierce, my queen, my wife. I have grown used to calling her that, but only in private.”
✨ ““We aren’t whole without you,” Nissia says, running her hand down my chest. “You are our third star.””

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ARC Review: In the Embrace of Dragons by Lyonne Riley
Release Date: August 7
ARC received directly from the author

🐉✨ Tropes You’re Getting Into:
- Arranged marriage
- Tomboy princess FMC
- Jealous lovers
- Triad romance (M/M, M/F, M/M/F)
- Found family
- Slow trust + earned forgiveness
- Non‑human romance

Lyonne Riley stays undefeated. I’ve read seven or eight of her books now, and she still manages to surprise me with the way she blends messy emotions, sharp character work, and heat that comes with its own warning label. If you’ve read her before, you already know: check your triggers, hydrate, and prepare for a good time.

Princess Nissia? My girl. She’s a beautiful tomboy who hunts, fishes, spars, and would rather be outside with the guards than stuffed into a dress her father picked. She’s always known she’d be married off to a dragon king but she at least expected someone she could be civil with.

Vizarios? Oh, he came in cold. He is uninterested, dismissive, cutting her off, making it clear he didn’t want her there. And she’s traveling to a new kingdom alone, without her best friend, without support, without anyone familiar. The loneliness hits hard.

Ragnakor, though? He’s the one who steps up. Loyal, warm, respectful he treats her like a person and tries to make her feel welcome. But Vizarios is already in love with him, and he sees Nissia as an intrusion on their bond. And that’s where the tension gets deliciously messy.

The relationship between these three shifts from resentment → uneasy alliance → something tender, complicated, and worth fighting for. And yes, the spice is present. It’s a Lyonne Riley book. You know exactly what you’re walking into.

But my absolute favorite part?
Baby… Nissia making Vizarios GROVEL.
Because once you mess up, you don’t get to stroll back in with a half‑hearted apology. You earn your way back. And she makes him work for it emotionally, behaviorally, and with actual growth. I loved that for her.

This book tackles:
- doing what’s best for your kingdom
- learning people instead of judging them
- found family
- forgiveness that requires change, not just words
- building bridges even when you’re hurt

There's more that happens but I don't want to give it away... You'll have to dive in to see!

Nissia is a queen of the people someone who fits in with royals and common folks alike. She’s curious, present, adaptable, and refuses to shrink. I saw so much of myself in her.

And yes… her making Vizarios scramble? Peak cinema.

I was already planning to read this, and I’m still grabbing the paperback when it drops. Fans of non‑human romance, tomboy heroines, messy triads, and earned trust arcs are going to devour this.

[Chelsea Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Lyonne Riley for an eARC of this book for review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an interesting story!

I will admit that for a lot of the book, I really, really, really needed someone to slap Vizarios. He acted less like a king and more like a child who's favorite toy had been taken away. I'm sure that was the point, for his character arc and everything, but holy crap! I get that he might have been grieving his mother and that's something that can be acknowledged. But it doesn't give him the right to hate his wife when she had just as much choice in things as he did. Between his disdain for Nissia at the beginning and his constant "I must remind that she's nothing", and the fact that he actually tried to order Ragnakor to stay away from her and just, yeah, slapping needed to happen. And in a way, it did. I did like the fact that once Ragnakor actually convinced him to pull his head out of his ass, while it took another minute, he started to see what he'd done and how he needed to fix it. And he actually tried to fix it!

Nissia was great. I liked the way she took to everything, even knowing she was going to the dragons kingdom and that it was different. You could really feel her disappoint and pain when Vizarios was an ass and even when Ragnakor was an idiot. At least Ragnakor's actions were because he'd gotten his honor backwards, rather than outright trying to be a jackass. Then when Vizarios was sort of trying, I liked her calling him on his crap and not just letting him worm his way back in. And when there were the questions about things, when Ragnakor's honor was backwards, she was able to bring him around. Plus her ideas on getting more humans seemed pretty inspired.

Ragnakor was weirdly sweet. Even though he was supposed to be the stoic guard captain, I loved how he was with Nissia, even before he acknowledged feelings. When he was trying to get Vizarios to see reason, I did like his comment about how he wouldn't go against Nissia's wishes. The fact that Vizarios tried, with the whole "I'm the king!" bit gave me very much "toddler throwing a fit" and Ragnakor responded well in telling him no. Then the way that he was able to nudge Vizarios to certain things and how he helped him figure out Nissia was sweet.

Book releases August 7th, 2026

[Anastey · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

OMG I stayed up to 3am reading, because I could not put this book down!!

We have a grumpy broody dragon, an abused queen who won't take crap from anyone, and a sweet guard caught in the middle between those two very strong personalities. There is also deep grief, loneliness, and loss, along with love and happiness too. This book takes you on a journey of healing, and the characters figuring out who they want to be.

Nissia really got screwed over from the beginning. She was forced to marry an awful person. She had to leave everyone and everything she has ever known to live in a new place and be neglected and straight up abused. It really sucked for her for most of the book. I'm glad she is a strong and not willing to take crap from anyone, but it's still a bad situation to be in.

Vizarios is a total butthead and I spent most of the book wanting to punt him over a cliff. He was so awful, selfish, and rude as heck. Grief does strange things to people, and for him it turned to anger and intense depression. It took a lot of work to pull his stupid head out of his dragon butt, but I'm glad he eventually worked through a lot of his issues.

Ragnakor was the poor guy stuck in the middle between the Nissia and Vizaros. He bounced around like a ping pong ball, and was basically the therapist of the group. I don't think they would have ever come to love each other if it wasn't for him. He is so kind, patient, and he really cares about everyone. He is the glue that holds everyone together.

It made my Bi little heart sing with joy when they all finally got over their crap and figured out how to make this relationship work. It is deliciously spicy, and oh so hot. The spice scenes are so good, and there are a wide variety of exciting "activities" to enjoy with the three of them.

It was incredible to read along and watch everyone eventually realize they do deserve to be loved and cared for. There was so much hurt, loss, and pain to deal with before they could be together as a triad. The ending is totally worth everything they go through, and Nissia deserves that happy ending the most!

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Spice: 3/5🌶️

The Catalog: MMF, human Princess x Dragon King x Guard, political arranged marriage, grumpy MMC, protector MMC, monster peen, sword fighting scenes, second chance after a bad first impression, secret relationship

Kink: public sex ceremony, lots of cum, power exchange, “Papa” kink, cuckhold, exhibitionism, voyeurism, impact play, breeding

Synopsis:
Nissia has known her whole life that she’d be the bride of the dragon king, but she’d always hoped that when the time came, he’d be kind, maybe even grow to love her. However, the king she meets is distant and cruel, wanting nothing to do with her aside from providing an heir. As for King Vizario, how is he supposed to stand his human wife when his heart belongs to his guard, Ragnakor?

Thoughts:
While I am a huge Lyonne Riley fan, I must say this is probably my least favorite of her books that I’ve read. Overall, it’s still her signature low stakes, high heat, kinky cuteness, but something felt really imbalanced between the three characters in a way that never felt equal by the end, despite how things turned out.

I think the crux of it is that A) King Vizario didn’t grovel nearly enough and was often petulant about not getting sex (unfortunately, a big ick for me), B) the “Papa” kink really through me for a loop only because the dynamic was very nebulous and hard to pin down (what exactly are the terms? what exactly is the purpose of this arrangement? is there something more than just direction?), C) and lastly, King Vizario’s piece of the pie was far larger than his partners’.

What I enjoyed about this book:
* the political, arranged marriage aspect
* the public marriage ceremony
* the secret relationship and feelings between the king and his guard
* Ragnakor POV chapters and his longing
* the way Ragnakor takes care of his mates
* Nissia’s ability to persevere

[Daijhanna Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Embrace of Dragons was a super fun why choose monster romance with a surprising amount of emotional depth.
I was firstly surprised by the amount of time taken in the beginning of the book to develop the relationship (or lack thereof) between Nissia and Vizarios, and the YEARNING between Vizarios and his guard captain Ragnakor (spent at least half the book accidentally reading that as Ragnarok LOL). I fully believed Vizarios’s discrimination and dislike of his new wife, as well as his NEED for Ragnakor.
I also enjoyed the worldbuilding, and didn’t feel like it was heavy handed. I enjoyed slowly learning bits and pieces about the world that this story exists in.
For the characters, I enjoyed the trio when they were together, however I will say that Vizarios didn’t ever quite turn the corner for me. His behaviours did change, which is great, but the actual apology (?) didn’t feel like it matched all of the horrible things he said to his wife in top of his general neglect. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted him to be forgiven so they could finally get together as a throuple, but I felt like I wanted more acknowledgment on his part about how truly terrible he was to Nissia.
My only other detractor would be that the last maybe fifth of the story felt like telling instead of a story I was experiencing. I think it was just because a bunch of time needed to pass, but the lead up to their ending felt a bit rushed.
Overall this was an enjoyable read, with great worldbuilding and a trio of very broken people learning to love and navigate a life with all of them together. Thanks to Lyonne for the opportunity to read this ARC!

(Also this does not contribute to my rating, but I personally shivered whenever they said “Papa”… not a pet name that I will be adopting)

[Adrianell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great story by Lyonne Riley! I loved Nissia and Ragnakor, but Vizarios should have groveled more ;)
Nissia was soft and feminine, but also strong-willed and full of tomboyish interests. I liked that the princess of this story subverted the expectations of both us readers and the dragons. She didn't buckle under the awful treatment of her new husband or the pressure of duty to give him an heir. She made him change his behavior to earn the right to be her husband. I would like to see him grovel more, but it wasn't the worst I've read.
Vizarios, the young king, pissed off that he had to marry a princess when he was in love with his captain of the guard. He treated Nissia badly, and I didn't like him much for most of the book. I felt like he wouldn't reflect on his behavior and change it if Ragnakor didn't push him to do it. I'd prefer for him to realize how awful he was without being scolded by the man he loved, but I guess he did become a loving husband and truly cared about Nissia in the end.
Ragnakor was a stoic, burly captain completely devoted to his king. He loved him, but wanted to distance himself for the sake of the kingdom. This guy was a delight. He tried to help Nissia even before he fell for her, and advocated for her even when he thought that he would be left alone when the marriage worked out.
The spice was great; all configurations were hot, but...I hated the Papa kink. I didn't mind the dominance; just the word Papa made me heave. With the young king not remembering his father, it creeped me out to all hell. If he called him Master or whatever else, I'd love the kinky side of this story!

[Tima · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars. This story is triple POV, well written and edited, and a slow burn, size difference, rejection to redemption, erotic fantasy romance between Nissia, the female human princess lead who has always known she would be married for an alliance, Vizarios, the male dragon humanoid prince lead who is determined to be “faithful” to his chosen lover emotionally even if he can’t be physically, and Ragnakor, the male dragon humanoid Captain of the Guard lead and Vizarios’s lover who willing steps back to allow the royal marriage to be unhindered. I adored Ragnakor’s sense of honour and his determination to facilitate the royal relationship, even though it should cost him his relationship. I adored Nissia’s sense of self worth and her requirement that Vizarios show true remorse before she accepted him back into her bed. I laughed at Vizarios’s initial attitude and appreciated Ragnakor’s push against him. I enjoyed his genuine repentance and his acts of reconciliation. I enjoyed the steamy/spicy intimate scenes, even though the nicknaming preferences are not something I enjoy. I enjoyed the emotional development and the mutual sacrifice. I adored the way the characters handled Vizarios’s disability and the accommodations he created for it that would allow the relationship and the kingdom to continue without hassle. I enjoyed the peace and joy of the ending and the confidence which Vizarios and Nissia publicly claimed Ragnakor as theirs.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and this is my voluntary honest review.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Embrace of Dragons
Author: Lyonne Riley
Genre: Monster Romance
Release Date: August 7, 2026
Trope: Size Difference, Why Choose, Forced Proximity, MMF – MM – MF, Slow Burn
This was my 28th Lyonne Riley read. I loved the dynamic of these characters; it was a nice change from the relations in DreamTogether and Indecent Monsters. I have seen some reviews about how Vizarios didn’t do enough to make it up to Nissia (you’ll have to read it to find out why). Here’s the thing, we have a dragon who has feelings for another that is forced into a marriage with a human he doesn’t want. He tried his best to stay at arms length, I think that he did the best that he could with how confident our FMC was, girl was not going to roll over and be ignored. The relationship building between Ragnakor & Nissia from the get-go was so great, there was an air of protection from the moment she stepped out in pants, refusing to travel in fancy dress. There are political reasons for the actions of the crown, and I think that the story with its slow burn and character interaction was great. The characters and settings wee perfectly descriptive. I also appreciate how LR represents POC so well in her novels.
Triggers: I don’t have any triggers and I won’t helicopter yours. Always check your triggers and be good to yourself.
I received an ARC for free from the Author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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[Lisen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 ⭐️
Spice: 4 🌶️
Tropes: MMF • dragons x human • arranged marriage • grumpy x stoic x fierce • sword crossing • daddy dom

I received an advance review copy (ARC) and am sharing my honest, unbiased review.

Uuuuh, yes, yes, yessss!! One of the spiciest stories I've read from Lyonne Riley, and wow, does it hit well! YUM, I ate it up!

The arranged marriage between Vizarios and Nissia is as far from wedding bliss as you could possibly get - except when it's not and the sparks fly 😉

Aaaand it's got one of my favorite tropes; He's a grade A a-hole to her, and then realizes that it might not have been the smartest thing he's ever done. Commence groveling.

A note on the groveling though, it's good, but it's not intense, however it fits the story. They are literally royalty, who are forced into this marriage and to produce an heir. They have to make it work.
But trust me, Nissia is no pushover.

Enter: Ragnakor - the stoic guard captain. And ruler of the bedroom. 😋

Despite the animosity between the characters, this is a very, very low-angst read. An emotional journey with aaaaaaall the spice!

The tiniest note; towards the end of the book, an unresolved issue is discussed, and then the story just ends. It left me feeling a bit wtf(?).

This book is for you if you want a low-angst super spicy read with all the swordplay and emotional growth. And dragons! They are dragons!!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that Princess Nissia isn't like the typical princess. She may have had a pampered life but she was open minded, didn't look down on anyone who was of lesser birth than her, and was willing and wanting to learn more that can be of support to herself or others; things that would be considered not worth learning since others can do for her as a princess. She was resigned to marrying a dragon king to maintain peace between the two kingdoms and species and to make the most of it. She didn't throw a fit as some other princess wont to do.

I didn't much like King Vizarios at first. He was aloof and short with Nissia. He made every attempt to show her he didn't want the marriage, as if she was the one to demand such a union. He took some warming up to but eventually, I did grow to like him.

Ragnakor, on the other hand, was warm and open towards Nissia from the first. He was the one I was rooting for, not Vizarios. He saw her willingness to learn new skills, her willingness to work hard and not just sit back and let others do things for her simply for being born into her station.

All three had things they needed to work through, not realizing that together, they could solve so many things. I like the struggles each had to overcome. And Vizarios for seeing beyond an issue and the solution to solve the problem. I enjoyed this one very much and is highly recommended!

[Alessa Biblioteca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC. I read this book in one day. This was everything I have been craving. I love me a good enemies to lovers. A mean, grumpy asshole who you just love to hate that wants nothing to do with his bride. Poor Nissia is sold to the dragons to protect her people and keep an age long promise between humans and dragons. But King Vizarios wants nothing to do with Princess Nissia. In fact he wants nothing to do with anyone except his captain, Ragnakor. It takes a while for Nissia to finally figure this out and when she does, she gives them permission to be together. But is there a bond already between Vizarios and Nissia he is fighting? And what about the Captain’s feelings toward Nissia? Could there be something there too? What starts as a mess turns into something beautiful between everyone. There is swords crossing in this and there is also M/F between all parties involved. Everyone gets a turn to have their fun lol I loved this story for its spicy scenes but also for its story. I enjoyed every page. The only thing that held me up was the nickname for Ragnakor, Papa, kinda felt out of nowhere because we didn’t see it first used I think. But I was able to look past it. I think it’s just a personal preference of mine that I dislike “daddy” and “papa” nicknames used. If you like your monsters staying monsters (no human shifting) and you like a little sharing in the bedroom, this is def the book for you.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

◇ Multiple POV

◇ M/M/F

◇ Monster romance

◇ Pining

Big thanks to the author Lyonne Riley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book honestly got me in the feels, a lot. The pining always twists my heart a bit especially when a character doesn’t feel worthy of love.

Nissia is such a strong FMC, having to go to a new kingdom, having to face her surly dragon husband. New place. New people. New everything. She adapts really well.

Vizarios is a character I didn’t think I’d end up liking. He was so cruel to begin with and soon you discover why - it doesn’t make up for his behaviour - but when he starts to try let his walls down you see the dragon within.

Ragnakor was a gem right from the start. The Captain. I loved him immediately and that didn’t change throughout the story.

The pacing was good. I liked the politics side of it, on how to make the kingdom thrive again. I liked the world building and I hope we get more from the kingdom of Selvumrrest.

Favourite quotes: “Ragnakor is turning into a meddler. I can already tell that he’s trying to engineer something with his little comments here and there. He’s not very good at meddling.”

“No one needs me. No one wants me. I wish that I had something to keep me rooted to the earth, or I might just float away. If I did, would anyone notice?”

[nameless_sadie · Rating 4 out of 5]

[⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️] (4)

Quick Stats
Genre: Monster romance
POV: first person, alternating trio pov from main characters
Spice: 4.5/5
Romance: 3/5
Tropes:
Arranged Marriage
Why Choose
Breeding
Dragon romance
Queen x King x Guard
All variations of M, M, and F (MF, MM, MFM, MMF, and any others I’m not aware of lol)

I really enjoyed this book. Vizarios really got me mad because I imagined if I was Nissia, I would absolutely never forgive him for how he treated me. But, alas, those two stupid meddling dragons wormed their way into Nissia’s (and mine’s) heart.

At first, I was off put by Ragnakor’s ‘Papa’ title but then by the end of the book, I was weeping and going ‘Omg I love the king and queen’s Papa. He takes such good care of them, I want a Papa of my own.’ I am all about Daddies so of course I swooned. But the care that Ragnakor had for Vizarios really was transcendental for me. I adored it!

I don’t know, Vizarios was my favorite character in the book. Along with Zephala… I am very interested to know if she and Ari will get to star in another book. 👀

Overall, Lyonne Riley does it again. Gives us a cosy monster romance with spice that is above the market’s average. I cannot wait to see what more comes from this author.

(Thank you, Lyonne Riley, for providing me with an ARC. This review is, of course, my own thoughts and wrote of my own volition.)

[Mimi Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen you tell me not only do we get a badass FMC but also two dragon MMCs who are boyfriends? 😩🔥
Ahhh I got immersed in this story so fast and was hooked!
Nissia our FMC is a human princess who knew since the beginning she was to be married off to the king of the dragons to keep the treaty between the two countries secure.
What she did not expect is how grumpy and dismissive her new husband would be.
Will she find happiness, alone is this new country?

The tension, the banter, that sizzling energy between King Vizarios and Ragnakor the captain of the guard, the different dynamics between the MCs… they all had me excited and made me eager to read just another chapter! 🤭
I especially loved the first camp scene where we get our first real glimpse of the characters‘ personalities. We have our feisty and independent Nissia, the mysterious King and the approachable and kind Ragnakor. The scene was memorable to me because Ragnakor goes against his King‘s wish and actually tries to get to know Nissia and make her transition into her new life less daunting.
I think I knew at that moment that this book would be really good!

In the Embrace of Dragons never got boring and I will just say the spice was great. Also yesss to a FMC like Nissia who stands her ground despite what is expected of her.

Thank you so much Lyonne Riley for this ARC!🥰

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honest ARC Review: Oh my goodness my heart! This book had me on an emotional journey and I just loved how everything turned out. Nissia is a princess and has always known she would be married off to a dragon. Unfortunately nothing prepared her for the prickly, rude, and stand offish dragon king. Her future doesn’t look so bright with her husband to be. Nissia does find kindness and friendship with the captain of the guard though. Vizarios is stone cold to most. After losing his mother he is guarded. The one person he shows his true self to is the captain of the guards. Now he can’t even have that since he is due to be married to a lowly human. Vizarios has a moment with his new wife but is quick to close himself off to her. Ragnakor has been loyal to the king and would do anything for him. He will do what is right so he intends to encourage the kind and his new queen. The problem is that as he gets to know Nissia he feels a familiar spark. The three are all navigating this new dynamic in the castle. This story is a bit of an emotional rollercoaster and I wanted to smack the characters a few times. Through all the turmoil they find their happy ending and it was so stinking sweet. This book was so well rounded and satisfying. I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend you read it!

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a serious lack of groveling in this story. Vizario said some downright awful things to Nissia. He never even verbally apologized for them or for his general behavior. Yes, he eventually changed his behavior. It a romance novel, of course he would. But it was a long time coming and without any true discussion.
You pluck a human out of her lands and take her to a completely unknown place, whether you want her there or not, it’s your responsibility as her king & husband to ensure she is cared for. She is your job as you said!
I really appreciate that time was taken for her to accept his attention again. She didn’t just immediately forgive him and move on. I felt the structure and the pacing of the story was good! I just feel that the emotional damage was more severe than the healing rendered.
If I could forget the first ~50% of this book it would be an easy 5 stars! I loved Nissia! She was strong, stood her ground, stayed confident and true to herself. Ragnakor was a sweetie and I really appreciated the extra effort he put in.
The spice was good!
Overall, our Queen Nissia had a mostly great last third of the book!

Thank you Lyonne Riley for this ARC. This review contains my own opinion and personal thoughts on the book.

[Whits Bookish Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! The fmc is fierce, one mmc is caring and loyal but stubborn to a fault and the other mmc is a grumpy broody closed off dragon that just needs someone to bring him back to himself again. Their relationship and dynamic took its time to settle but once it did I absolutely loved it!


Nissia is the smart, kind and fierce human princess who grew up knowing she would be married off to the dragon king in order to renew the long standing treaty between their kingdoms. While she is not excited she did not expect how her marriage would start off. The dragon prince is curt and rude to her from the beginning. After arriving in dragon kingdom Nissia and Vizarios will have to complete their marriage ritual but it does not go as planned how will the new king and queen move forward when it feels like it can’t?




Vizarios is grumpy and closed off and always so curt to Nissia. Can he work through his emotions and hang ups to make it work with his new wife and queen.


Ragnakor is loyal, honest and bound by his honor to his king. He has been there for Vizarios through all his years and troubles. But during the visit he realizes he is pulled to Nissia with the need to be her friend and ensure she is taken care of in her new kingdom and home.

[Kaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nissia finds herself married off to the king of dragons, king Vizarios. He is so cruel in the beginning and is disgusted to have a human bride. There are certain rituals that must be performed after taking a bride. It would seem as if he enjoyed himself, but no dragon would ever enjoy a human bride. Vizarios frustrated me at times with how stubborn and rude he was in regards to Nissia.

Ragnakor is king Vizarios most trusted guard. After being disregard by the king one too many times, she confides in Ragnakor. Ragnakor is the exact opposite of the king. He is kind, thoughtful, and even agrees to train Nissia so she can defend herself if she ever needs to.

I love how laid back Nissia is about the whole situation and when she discovers the real reason why Vizarios is so cruel, she makes a compromise. She wants to be present anytime Ragnakor and Vizarios want to be sexual. Vizarios is a sneaky man, but thankfully Ragnakor is loyal to both his queen and king and there is no funny business unless the queen is involved.

I enjoyed watching them learn how to handle their new relationship all together. This is a why choose MMF where there is breeding, size differences, knots, and more 🤭

Thank you to Lyonne Riley for an ARC of this book!

[Callan Shive · Rating 5 out of 5]

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ 𝙸 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗 𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚗 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠.
𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝙻𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚎 𝚁𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚢! ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

☆ 5 stars ☆

All I can say is that I’m a lover of dragons of all shapes and sizes. I had such a fun time with this and I think this read made me super ambitious on the places I was reading (ahem, the airplane in the middle seat).

Vizarios, honey - get your shit together. I'm glad you got your head on straight towards the end there but dude, really? I don’t blame him for being hesitant since this is all an arranged marriage. There was just a much better way to go about it than he did. I’m glad both Ragnakor and Nissia helped him realize the errors of his ways lol

Nissia is just making the best with what got handed to her. She is such a strong female lead especially with going up against two dragons as her male counterparts. I love her way of thinking and how she tries to problem solve every situation. Definitely my favorite character.

Ragnakor is just a lover boy wrapped in big bodyguard scales. He’s devoted and dedicated to every aspect in his life down to the finite details of it all. He’s just so patient with not just Vizarios but also Nissia.

Gotta say one of my favorite lil trios.

[Mariana McMurtrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars


- MMF
- Political Marriage
- Pining
- Breeding!!!

I absolutely loved this book! Which was surprising because I really hated one character for the first like half, 35-45%, of the book and another character pissed me off between 65-70% mark.

Riley does an excellent job of character building and development as the story goes on. We not only see how complex feelings are within each of our main characters (Nissia, Vizarios, Ragnakor) about themselves and for each other.

Vizarios had a HUGE personality flipped that I loved to bits. I really did not think our author could redeem him but she did!

Nissia is such a brave, kind, strong woman who doesn’t put up with bullshit for very long but is so sweet and shy!

Ragnakor is that strong, silent protector who knows what to say but always puts himself last, the poor man.

The book isn’t really ruling centered but it is centered about the relationship between our three main characters and their respective personalities.

I loved the supporting characters, especially our queens friends and our little Daina!

Thank you Lyonne Riley for the ARC!

[Aliza Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book! The feisty FMC set my heart on fire; she’s fierce, unstoppable, and unbreakable. The first MMC is caring and fiercely loyal, yet stubborn as a mule—so human in his flaws, so real in his struggles. The second MMC? A grumpy, broody dragon who’s shut off from the world—just waiting for someone brave enough to pull him back from the darkness and remind him of who he truly is. Their tangled relationship and fiery dynamic took its time to find its footing, but once it did, I was completely hooked—absolutely captivated by every moment!

Lyonne has done it again—her storytelling is nothing short of magical. I’ve devoured most of her work, and it’s ALWAYS a thrill, never a disappointment. I’d run to any new release from this incredible author without a second thought. My absolute favourite part? Nissia making Vizarios GROVEL. Because once you mess up, there’s no strolling back in with a weak apology. You’ve got to earn your redemption, and she MAKES him work for it—emotionally, behaviourally, and through genuine growth. That moment? Pure fire. Truly, this story scraped my heart raw—so raw, so real, so unforgettable.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up
I have enjoyed the books from Lyonne Riley that I've read, but I think this one has been the most middle of the road book for me. A lot of YES!...but...kind of things.
Lyonne Riley will always some face meltingly spicy scenes. Delicious. BUT, it has a kind that just doesn't work for me. One of the MMCs is called Papa, but only during sexual scenarios and it took me out every time.
Nissia. Oh my god, I loved her. Strong in every sense of the word. Very self assured and confident in herself. BUT, she was screwed over so many times in this book. I felt so bad she had to deal with someone like Vizarios. What an asshole. I know he has trauma but holy shit. I would've just been like take this crown and shove it, dude. And the thing that got me the most is I don't think a proper apology was ever given. He did one nice thing, out of peer guilt from everyone around him, got his dick wet finally and just was like "cool, so we're good now, right? gimme a baby."
While I know this book will work for lots of other people, it just didn't work for me.
But thank you so much to Lyonne Riley for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

[Mel Rivers · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️’s!

OMG, King Vizarios!!! 😤 I wanna smack him. He isn’t stuck in this arranged marriage alone, but he sure takes it out on the freaking princess. (He just needed a hug instead he was a grumpy prick to his fiancée… 🙄) I get it his mother recently died and he’s lashing out, but honestly I don’t feel like he apologized or groveled enough to be forgiven.

I feel empathy/sympathy for princess Nissia. She puts herself on the back burner to help others out because her issues are ‘not as bad’ as theirs. She’s far too forgiving and open minded, but that’s what makes her such a great character.

We love Ragnarok, who is immediately sympathetic for the princess. He’s caring, open minded, sweet. thus his nickname ‘Papa’ 😏

Annoyingly there seems to be a lot of buildup and anticipation for the ‘wedding ceremony’ and not enough relationship development between the three main characters other than lust made me do it.

With that said the spice was hot in this book 🫠🥵😮‍💨
MMF - sword ⚔️ crossing - my boyfriends are boyfriends
Arranged Marriage - Public sex as part of a required ceremony
DP
Daddy k!nk

[A.L.Z. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ragnakor is the best

ARC Review

In the Embrace of Dragons by Lyonne Riley is about a human woman & 2 male dragons. It is why choose romance. Princess Nissia, King Vizarios & Captain Ragnakor all have to figure out how to live together. And apparrently Nissia has *wide eyes* - it was told to us so many times. Big Sigh. 😑 I enjoy Lyonne's previous works, so that is why this one is getting 4 stars... but really 3.5 only - maybe 3. When Nissia becomes Queen after her püɓlịc ṣëx with Vizarios on the altar in front of the dragon wardens- he just gets up & leaves her there! 😒 Total a**ḥölẹ move! Vizarios is cruel to Nissia. He ignores her and when he is feeling ḥörṅƴ, he goes to her to try to have ṣëx... of course she is going to deny him. He never apologizes, grovels or gets his comeuppance. Ragnakor edging him once because Nissia tells him to is not groveling! 🤨😒 I was expecting an epic grovel - nothing. Vizarios ruined the story for me. Would have been better with Nissia & Ragnakor only. This one annoyed me more than I enjoyed it.

[Kate Brasington · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨✨ARC REVIEW✨✨

I’m not sure what Lyonne sticks in her books but boy is it addictive because I could not put this book down, I finished it in one morning 😮‍💨😮‍💨
The FMC Nissia is married off to the Dragon King Vizarios as she was destined to do from birth. There is an instant Cole shoulder given to Nissia from the king. She doesn’t expect him to fall in love with her, or for his captain Ragnakor to as well!!!
There is a slow burning romance between the MMCs and the FMC while the MMCs are already enamoured with each other. There is play time between all three characters, or sometimes between the two men, and also one of the men talking the couple through it 😮‍💨🤌
I loved this so much! If you are looking for a human X dragon book with reluctant spouses to lovers that turns into a throuple where they all genuinely love and care about each other In the Embrace of Dragons is going to be something you need in your life! Thank you Lyonne for sending me an earc of this book and for having me on your team!