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Boston Dragons #1
I Dream of Dragons
THE HEAT IS ON
When Rory Arish and his two fiery dragon siblings are run out of their ancestral Irish home, it seems their luck has run out-until they arrive in Boston and find a paranormal-friendly apartment building. Finally, Rory has a place to call home. There's only one problem: Rory's new lair has simultaneously been rented to an infuriating woman who is as stubborn as she is beautiful and will not leave 'her' apartment matter how steamed he may be...
AND SPARKS FLY
Amber McNally is a down-on-her-luck flight attendant. She needs this apartment, and not even a fire-breathing dragon with his Irish charm and scorching good looks is going to scare her away. Holing up in their respective corners, a battle of wills ensues. Who will be the first to blink...or give in to their off-the-charts chemistry and decide to make this unorthodox living arrangement a little more permanent?
When Rory Arish and his two fiery dragon siblings are run out of their ancestral Irish home, it seems their luck has run out-until they arrive in Boston and find a paranormal-friendly apartment building. Finally, Rory has a place to call home. There's only one problem: Rory's new lair has simultaneously been rented to an infuriating woman who is as stubborn as she is beautiful and will not leave 'her' apartment matter how steamed he may be...
AND SPARKS FLY
Amber McNally is a down-on-her-luck flight attendant. She needs this apartment, and not even a fire-breathing dragon with his Irish charm and scorching good looks is going to scare her away. Holing up in their respective corners, a battle of wills ensues. Who will be the first to blink...or give in to their off-the-charts chemistry and decide to make this unorthodox living arrangement a little more permanent?
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 5, 2016
92 people are currently reading
694 people want to read
About the author
Ashlyn Chase
55 books458 followersAshlyn Chase has been a registered nurse for 20 years. During those years, she wrote articles for professional journals and a thesis, but eventually, thank goodness, discovered the joy and freedom of writing fiction.
Ashlyn considers herself lucky. Her degree in behavioral sciences is a combination of psychology and sociology, so she has worked with and studied people most of her life. She never has to write out exhaustive character sketches to understand her characters or predict how they will behave. That doesn't mean they don't surprise her. Sometimes they take her on grand unexpected journeys. For her, it gives "character driven novels" a whole new meaning.
Ashlyn has learned to go with the flow. To enjoy the journey is not only one of her writing goals, but also a challenge in life so she tries to follow where the story takes her. As such, she has lived in 17 different places over the years. At last, she's all settled down and comfy in New England.
Is there a grand design or do we decide our own fates? Perhaps if the powers-that-be have a plot, then they also give us the right to revise it. Ashlyn has certainly made detours on her path, but she thinks she's better for it. She's having fun at any rate and hopes that if she enjoys the journey, so will those around her—including her readers.
Ashlyn considers herself lucky. Her degree in behavioral sciences is a combination of psychology and sociology, so she has worked with and studied people most of her life. She never has to write out exhaustive character sketches to understand her characters or predict how they will behave. That doesn't mean they don't surprise her. Sometimes they take her on grand unexpected journeys. For her, it gives "character driven novels" a whole new meaning.
Ashlyn has learned to go with the flow. To enjoy the journey is not only one of her writing goals, but also a challenge in life so she tries to follow where the story takes her. As such, she has lived in 17 different places over the years. At last, she's all settled down and comfy in New England.
Is there a grand design or do we decide our own fates? Perhaps if the powers-that-be have a plot, then they also give us the right to revise it. Ashlyn has certainly made detours on her path, but she thinks she's better for it. She's having fun at any rate and hopes that if she enjoys the journey, so will those around her—including her readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
August 9, 2016
I won this book from an online giveaway.
This book was pretty good. I didn't love it to death but I did enjoy the characters, they were pretty funny. Well, accept for the Leprechauns, they were little jerks! They banned the dragons, Rory and his sisters, Shannon and Chloe from their castle in Ireland because the Leprechauns said they stole their gold. They didn't btw.
They set the dragons out on a boat and they eventually made it to America. Not on the boat but still. Your wondering why didn't the dragons change and attack the Leprechauns. Well, Shannon did because she didn't want to leave her fiance, Finn. But all she got was banged up since she flew into a shield, TWICE.
The dragons end up working for a pub playing music, they had a little band. They also rented some apartments there. This was a building full of supernatural creatures for the most part. Vampires, witches, ghosts, etc and so on.
The one problem is the landlord and his wife both sold the one apartment to Rory and a woman named Amber. She is a flight attendant and not happy in her life. Then she gets a proposition from Mother Nature to become a muse of flight. There are all kinds of muses in the book. I found them a little strange but interesting as well.
So, this little romance kicks up after a bit of fighting between Amber and Rory. It's not some big thing because there is always something else going on.
Finn persuades his friend Patrick to go to Boston with him to find Shannon. Finn happened to get hold of one of the Leprechauns and get the story out of him.
Then the Leprechauns decide to make an appearance in Boston. I mean geez, lets all go to Boston. So when they get there they are eventually confronted by the ghost, Chad. He's cool, I like him =)
Then we all find out the real story and everyone lives happily ever after. The End =)
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
This book was pretty good. I didn't love it to death but I did enjoy the characters, they were pretty funny. Well, accept for the Leprechauns, they were little jerks! They banned the dragons, Rory and his sisters, Shannon and Chloe from their castle in Ireland because the Leprechauns said they stole their gold. They didn't btw.
They set the dragons out on a boat and they eventually made it to America. Not on the boat but still. Your wondering why didn't the dragons change and attack the Leprechauns. Well, Shannon did because she didn't want to leave her fiance, Finn. But all she got was banged up since she flew into a shield, TWICE.
The dragons end up working for a pub playing music, they had a little band. They also rented some apartments there. This was a building full of supernatural creatures for the most part. Vampires, witches, ghosts, etc and so on.
The one problem is the landlord and his wife both sold the one apartment to Rory and a woman named Amber. She is a flight attendant and not happy in her life. Then she gets a proposition from Mother Nature to become a muse of flight. There are all kinds of muses in the book. I found them a little strange but interesting as well.
So, this little romance kicks up after a bit of fighting between Amber and Rory. It's not some big thing because there is always something else going on.
Finn persuades his friend Patrick to go to Boston with him to find Shannon. Finn happened to get hold of one of the Leprechauns and get the story out of him.
Then the Leprechauns decide to make an appearance in Boston. I mean geez, lets all go to Boston. So when they get there they are eventually confronted by the ghost, Chad. He's cool, I like him =)
Then we all find out the real story and everyone lives happily ever after. The End =)
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
November 4, 2025
Let’s just stay clear of the leprechauns, at least that’s what the dragons should have done. Finding themselves accused of stealing the leprechaun gold, three dragon shifter siblings find themselves adrift, homeless and needing an apartment in America that will accommodate paranormals. If that wasn’t enough, the only apartment available for Rory, the male dragon, was an apartment already with a tenant…the newly, Mother Nature, appointed muse. Saying the battle lines are drawn would be an understatement. Neither, the hot has heck dragon or the fiery human want to give up their new digs. Close contact makes for explosive chemistry, hysterical situations and modern day War of the Roses.
Chase pens a humor filled romantic tale. Of course Rory and his sisters have a lot on their plate with being magically displaced and all, but their problems take a back seat to Amber’s and Rory’s feud for occupancy. Quirky, fun and just want the doctor would order, if they were suggesting a great make you laugh book, I Dream of Dragons just hits that lol funny entertainment spot.
I received this ARC copy of I Dream of Dragons from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication April 5, 2016.
Chase pens a humor filled romantic tale. Of course Rory and his sisters have a lot on their plate with being magically displaced and all, but their problems take a back seat to Amber’s and Rory’s feud for occupancy. Quirky, fun and just want the doctor would order, if they were suggesting a great make you laugh book, I Dream of Dragons just hits that lol funny entertainment spot.
I received this ARC copy of I Dream of Dragons from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication April 5, 2016.
March 1, 2016
You know that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, maybe it would be best to stay clear of it, because who knows what lengths a leprechaun may go to if they accuse you of stealing it. In a bit of a financial pickle in Ireland, three dragon siblings head for America to start over. With the luck of the Irish, they find a paranormal apartment complex with vacancies. Hey, I swear, I used to live next to a witch…
The only problem is Rory’s apartment has also been rented to a newly recruited underling for Mother Nature! So what happens when a hot fiery dragon and a cute as blazes human flight attendant discover that one must go and neither is willing? Battle lines are drawn and these two are determined that he/she who leaves the apartment first loses. Let the games begin as these two discover hate is the closest thing to love and that battle line is blurred beyond recognition! Has Mother Nature teamed up with Cupid? It’s a case of chemistry 101 when two hot-blooded beings provide enough friction to explode!
I Dream of Dragons by Ashlyn Chase is one fast-paced, completely charming romantic comedy that will leave you smiling. Sure there is conflict, and Rory and his sisters are in some big trouble, but it takes a backseat to the nesting war going on right inside Rory/Amber’s apartment as these two taunt, irritate and surprise each other on an hourly basis. Ms. Chase has pulled together a quirky and magical cast, including a Peeping Tom ghost, and more! She keeps the smiles coming as this clever tale never lets up. A fun read, full of fantasy and feuds, quick, light-hearted and witty!
I received an ARC edition from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Boston Dragons - Book 1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
ISBN-10: 1492610062
ISBN-13: 978-1492610069
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Paperback: 352 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
The only problem is Rory’s apartment has also been rented to a newly recruited underling for Mother Nature! So what happens when a hot fiery dragon and a cute as blazes human flight attendant discover that one must go and neither is willing? Battle lines are drawn and these two are determined that he/she who leaves the apartment first loses. Let the games begin as these two discover hate is the closest thing to love and that battle line is blurred beyond recognition! Has Mother Nature teamed up with Cupid? It’s a case of chemistry 101 when two hot-blooded beings provide enough friction to explode!
I Dream of Dragons by Ashlyn Chase is one fast-paced, completely charming romantic comedy that will leave you smiling. Sure there is conflict, and Rory and his sisters are in some big trouble, but it takes a backseat to the nesting war going on right inside Rory/Amber’s apartment as these two taunt, irritate and surprise each other on an hourly basis. Ms. Chase has pulled together a quirky and magical cast, including a Peeping Tom ghost, and more! She keeps the smiles coming as this clever tale never lets up. A fun read, full of fantasy and feuds, quick, light-hearted and witty!
I received an ARC edition from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Boston Dragons - Book 1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
ISBN-10: 1492610062
ISBN-13: 978-1492610069
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Paperback: 352 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
October 15, 2024
~ 4 I Dream of Dragons Stars ~
I Dream of Dragons is book one in the Boston Dragons series by Ashlyn Chase. I love dragons and anytime I find a book either with dragons in it or a title that says dragons, I pick it up. I have to say this was an amusing read with quite an interesting cast of characters.
I have read Ashlyn Chase before with her Strange Neighbors series. I was mildly surprised and entertained to learn that the apartment building and cast of characters from Strange Neighbors are featured prominently in this story. It was nice to see those characters again.
Amber, human and a flight attendant has her world turned up-side down and gets a crash course in being part of the supernatural world. I’m glad she did not freak out, but went along with the flow and stood her ground at times.
Roy, dragon, handsome, and an infuriating Irishman. He is head of his clan, which gives him the responsibility to look after his two younger sisters, so when they get kicked out of their ancestral home in Ireland, well they never expected to end up where they did.
Amber and Roy, you see the sparks fly, but first they must butt heads. I loved what happened between them as they try to outwit the other, but end up falling for each other instead.
What kept me glued to the pages and entertained was the amusing dialogue/conversations that the cast of characters had. I just couldn’t put the book down even with the weird plot/story, because of the hilarious conversations the characters had and that Mother Nature was a riot.
What Did Not Work:
First, the title is a little miss leading; because their is no dreaming in this book. Second, we have dragons, but Rory only shifted once and not in front of his lady love. Third, the reason the dragons where kicked out was a little weak. Last, it felt like we did not have much of a plot, the pacing and flow where a bit off and some other things felt weird or off to me.
I Dream of Dragons turned out to be a lighthearted and delightfully good book to read. I had a few laughs and might be check out the next book in the Boston Dragon’s series.
*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley with the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
I Dream of Dragons is book one in the Boston Dragons series by Ashlyn Chase. I love dragons and anytime I find a book either with dragons in it or a title that says dragons, I pick it up. I have to say this was an amusing read with quite an interesting cast of characters.
I have read Ashlyn Chase before with her Strange Neighbors series. I was mildly surprised and entertained to learn that the apartment building and cast of characters from Strange Neighbors are featured prominently in this story. It was nice to see those characters again.
Amber, human and a flight attendant has her world turned up-side down and gets a crash course in being part of the supernatural world. I’m glad she did not freak out, but went along with the flow and stood her ground at times.
Roy, dragon, handsome, and an infuriating Irishman. He is head of his clan, which gives him the responsibility to look after his two younger sisters, so when they get kicked out of their ancestral home in Ireland, well they never expected to end up where they did.
Amber and Roy, you see the sparks fly, but first they must butt heads. I loved what happened between them as they try to outwit the other, but end up falling for each other instead.
What kept me glued to the pages and entertained was the amusing dialogue/conversations that the cast of characters had. I just couldn’t put the book down even with the weird plot/story, because of the hilarious conversations the characters had and that Mother Nature was a riot.
What Did Not Work:
First, the title is a little miss leading; because their is no dreaming in this book. Second, we have dragons, but Rory only shifted once and not in front of his lady love. Third, the reason the dragons where kicked out was a little weak. Last, it felt like we did not have much of a plot, the pacing and flow where a bit off and some other things felt weird or off to me.
I Dream of Dragons turned out to be a lighthearted and delightfully good book to read. I had a few laughs and might be check out the next book in the Boston Dragon’s series.
*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley with the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
February 14, 2016
DNF @ 40%
With three Irish siblings who are dragon-shifters forced out of Ireland and ending up in Boston residing in an apartment block filled with immortal tenants, I Dream of Dragons sounded a fun paranormal read. Unfortunately though, I struggled with the general pacing and the flow of the story.
It leapt around too much, and 40% in the main characters, Rory and Amber, hadn't actually featured together that much at all. This meant a limited chemistry between them and whilst more focus lay on Amber and her new status as a muse, it was the slew of secondary characters who took up the most page space: humans, leprechauns, vampires, shifters, ghosts, witches, muses and Mother Nature who I actually thought was a great character, she certainly was true to the phrase don't mess with Mother Nature.
Sadly though this wasn't enough for me, and I needed more by this point in the story. Had more of the the focus been on the couple then I may well have enjoyed it; I certainly didn't dislike the characters but it all just became a little crowded and busy for me to become invested in this.
Copy received courtesy of Sourcebooks via NetGalley for an honest and unbiased opinion.
With three Irish siblings who are dragon-shifters forced out of Ireland and ending up in Boston residing in an apartment block filled with immortal tenants, I Dream of Dragons sounded a fun paranormal read. Unfortunately though, I struggled with the general pacing and the flow of the story.
It leapt around too much, and 40% in the main characters, Rory and Amber, hadn't actually featured together that much at all. This meant a limited chemistry between them and whilst more focus lay on Amber and her new status as a muse, it was the slew of secondary characters who took up the most page space: humans, leprechauns, vampires, shifters, ghosts, witches, muses and Mother Nature who I actually thought was a great character, she certainly was true to the phrase don't mess with Mother Nature.
Sadly though this wasn't enough for me, and I needed more by this point in the story. Had more of the the focus been on the couple then I may well have enjoyed it; I certainly didn't dislike the characters but it all just became a little crowded and busy for me to become invested in this.
Copy received courtesy of Sourcebooks via NetGalley for an honest and unbiased opinion.
March 20, 2024
Don’t judge a book by the cover, they say. Well I fell for this thirst trap. The contents were a bit much, the major premise of both characters wanting the apartment not very believable— didn’t they both have much more important things to worry about?
This volume includes characters and situations leftover from previous books, so the feeling was of being dropped in the middle of a puzzle without a map. Perhaps this book is typical of the fantasy romance shifter genre, but I found it it all too complicated and too simple, if that is even possible.
I was hoping for a guilty pleasure, but instead perhaps gained a little genre insight (yes, "insight" is how I label my confusion).
This volume includes characters and situations leftover from previous books, so the feeling was of being dropped in the middle of a puzzle without a map. Perhaps this book is typical of the fantasy romance shifter genre, but I found it it all too complicated and too simple, if that is even possible.
I was hoping for a guilty pleasure, but instead perhaps gained a little genre insight (yes, "insight" is how I label my confusion).
June 15, 2016
Funny and entertaining, I love her other series Strange Neighbours and Flirting with Fangs. I enjoyed reading her books
June 6, 2019
Ripped Bodice Bingo 2019 - Dragons.
Pals. This was not good.
Pals. This was not good.
July 5, 2019
It was ok but Rory and Amber didn't have much chemistry between them.
March 31, 2016
THE HEAT IS ON
When Rory Arish and his two fiery dragon siblings are run out of their ancestral Irish home, it seems their luck has run out-until they arrive in Boston and find a paranormal-friendly apartment building. Finally, Rory has a place to call home. There's only one problem: Rory's new lair has simultaneously been rented to an infuriating woman who is as stubborn as she is beautiful and will not leave 'her' apartment matter how steamed he may be...
AND SPARKS FLY
Amber McNally is a down-on-her-luck flight attendant. She needs this apartment, and not even a fire-breathing dragon with his Irish charm and scorching good looks is going to scare her away. Holing up in their respective corners, a battle of wills ensues. Who will be the first to blink...or give in to their off-the-charts chemistry and decide to make this unorthodox living arrangement a little more permanent?
My Review:
I felt I Dream of Dragons could have been a fiver however as a starter to a new series most of the h/h histories as well as relationship foundation takes a slight backseat to all the world building establishment and backstories that are taking place through the entire duration of the book. Which isn't bad but all the filler could have been written as a sort of prequel novella without interrupting the actual story so that Amber and Rory would get more page time and readers would have had more intimate time to get to know them and they one another. Not that its particularly lacking but it is quite ... skim on that part.
That being said I did enjoy all the backstory and the extra characters because they are all great and they all stand out. I would have actually liked to see Rory actually be dragon instead of just saying dragon. Give us an instance where Amber and Rory get personal dragon time together.
As its supposed to be 'dragons' that part wasn't exactly lush. Rory could have easily have just been a human without the dragon part and readers wouldn't have noticed a difference if they hadn't already been told he was one.
So that needs a tad more page time with him actually being a dragon.
As a starter book I was content with its initial establishment and development regardless of how slow it was.
I'm hoping we get more cameos with Amber and Rory (in dragon) later in following installments so that we get that sort of unfulfilled issue addressed later on.
All in all I enjoyed I Dream of Dragons and I look forward to seeing where Ashlyn goes with the Boston Dragons series in the future.
My Rating:
Reviewed By:
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews
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Disclaimer:
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
Source:
Received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review from Sourcebooks Casablanca Publishing via Netgalley
Note:
If any of Krissys Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like or let me know what you think! Thank you!
When Rory Arish and his two fiery dragon siblings are run out of their ancestral Irish home, it seems their luck has run out-until they arrive in Boston and find a paranormal-friendly apartment building. Finally, Rory has a place to call home. There's only one problem: Rory's new lair has simultaneously been rented to an infuriating woman who is as stubborn as she is beautiful and will not leave 'her' apartment matter how steamed he may be...
AND SPARKS FLY
Amber McNally is a down-on-her-luck flight attendant. She needs this apartment, and not even a fire-breathing dragon with his Irish charm and scorching good looks is going to scare her away. Holing up in their respective corners, a battle of wills ensues. Who will be the first to blink...or give in to their off-the-charts chemistry and decide to make this unorthodox living arrangement a little more permanent?
My Review:
I felt I Dream of Dragons could have been a fiver however as a starter to a new series most of the h/h histories as well as relationship foundation takes a slight backseat to all the world building establishment and backstories that are taking place through the entire duration of the book. Which isn't bad but all the filler could have been written as a sort of prequel novella without interrupting the actual story so that Amber and Rory would get more page time and readers would have had more intimate time to get to know them and they one another. Not that its particularly lacking but it is quite ... skim on that part.
That being said I did enjoy all the backstory and the extra characters because they are all great and they all stand out. I would have actually liked to see Rory actually be dragon instead of just saying dragon. Give us an instance where Amber and Rory get personal dragon time together.
As its supposed to be 'dragons' that part wasn't exactly lush. Rory could have easily have just been a human without the dragon part and readers wouldn't have noticed a difference if they hadn't already been told he was one.
So that needs a tad more page time with him actually being a dragon.
As a starter book I was content with its initial establishment and development regardless of how slow it was.
I'm hoping we get more cameos with Amber and Rory (in dragon) later in following installments so that we get that sort of unfulfilled issue addressed later on.
All in all I enjoyed I Dream of Dragons and I look forward to seeing where Ashlyn goes with the Boston Dragons series in the future.
My Rating:
Reviewed By:
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews
Booklikes
Goodreads
Google Plus
Blogger
Amazon
Disclaimer:
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
Source:
Received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review from Sourcebooks Casablanca Publishing via Netgalley
Note:
If any of Krissys Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like or let me know what you think! Thank you!
March 25, 2016
I'm extremely torn as to how to write this review. I really could have gone either way with this read, but ultimately decided to "award" the Author for her creativity in the story line. As paranormal/fantasy reads come and go, you would expect to be pulled in to a world where magic is ever present. Although there were magical elements and beings, I honestly feel like this fell a little flat in that category.
Rory is the leader of his Dragon clan/family in Ireland. When his family is accused of a crime they didn't commit, they are forced from their homeland, finding themselves in Boston. After bumping in to Amber in front of the "special" store they are looking for, they move in to a paranormal hotel, only be stuck living in the same apartment with non other than Amber (I know this sounds confusing, but stay with me).
Amber is a flight attendant who becomes randomly selected by Mother feakin' Nature to become a modern day muse (this is quite honestly the only paranormal "thing" we get to experience for the first half of the book). After Amber is approached by Mother Nature, she quickly learns that she needs to move out of her current apartment because it's being renovated. Another muse suggests the paranormal hotel, flash forward to being stuck with Rory in the same apartment unit.
While being stuck together in the same unit, Rory and Amber start becoming acquainted. When I say start, I mean that this is a very. slow. process. All the while, Amber is getting used to her new muse powers and Rory is having his sisters buy him clothes, food, etc. Oh, and back in Ireland, one of the sisters' finance starts looking for her after she goes missing. He ends up in Boston along with the people who originally cast Rory's family from Ireland, all in hopes to find their treasure.
Look. Let's be honest here. The title indicates Dragons are in this story. We don't even get to experience one of the Dragons shifting until 75% in to the story...and it's not even RORY, the main character. We don't even get to experience some of the other entities in the paranormal hotel until just about the same spot in the book (other than one nosy ghost). For me, too many entities to deal with without even getting to enjoy them, not enough shifting and certainly not enough Dragon.
*I was given this book by the Jeep Diva in exchange for my honest opinion.
Rory is the leader of his Dragon clan/family in Ireland. When his family is accused of a crime they didn't commit, they are forced from their homeland, finding themselves in Boston. After bumping in to Amber in front of the "special" store they are looking for, they move in to a paranormal hotel, only be stuck living in the same apartment with non other than Amber (I know this sounds confusing, but stay with me).
Amber is a flight attendant who becomes randomly selected by Mother feakin' Nature to become a modern day muse (this is quite honestly the only paranormal "thing" we get to experience for the first half of the book). After Amber is approached by Mother Nature, she quickly learns that she needs to move out of her current apartment because it's being renovated. Another muse suggests the paranormal hotel, flash forward to being stuck with Rory in the same apartment unit.
While being stuck together in the same unit, Rory and Amber start becoming acquainted. When I say start, I mean that this is a very. slow. process. All the while, Amber is getting used to her new muse powers and Rory is having his sisters buy him clothes, food, etc. Oh, and back in Ireland, one of the sisters' finance starts looking for her after she goes missing. He ends up in Boston along with the people who originally cast Rory's family from Ireland, all in hopes to find their treasure.
Look. Let's be honest here. The title indicates Dragons are in this story. We don't even get to experience one of the Dragons shifting until 75% in to the story...and it's not even RORY, the main character. We don't even get to experience some of the other entities in the paranormal hotel until just about the same spot in the book (other than one nosy ghost). For me, too many entities to deal with without even getting to enjoy them, not enough shifting and certainly not enough Dragon.
*I was given this book by the Jeep Diva in exchange for my honest opinion.
March 30, 2016
Chase draws readers back into Boston’s paranormal scene with this fun filled novel. The plot is solidly crafted and the vivid descriptions allow readers entrance into this world. That said, I found that this novel had an almost cartooney feel at times. Although the plot was enjoyable I found the story hard to stay focussed on. It took me most of the novel to find the relevance of certain parts,
Chase has created some fun and well developed characters for this novel. The modern muses are a comical premise for these characters. I enjoyed the way that certain characters from her past books were also drawn into this novel.
As a whole this novel was a solid introduction into Chase’s new series. It’s a good starting place for those new to her work and a great addition for those who have already delved into it.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
Chase has created some fun and well developed characters for this novel. The modern muses are a comical premise for these characters. I enjoyed the way that certain characters from her past books were also drawn into this novel.
As a whole this novel was a solid introduction into Chase’s new series. It’s a good starting place for those new to her work and a great addition for those who have already delved into it.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
March 16, 2016
I confess that it was the cover, well the cover model specifically (he’s one of my favs), that was the main motivator as to why I decided to check out I Dream of Dragons, the fun sort of crazy that was promised in the blurb and the fact that I’d Ashlyn Chase was an author I’d never read before had me picking it up and I found it to be a cute story with more of an urban fantasy feel to it than a paranormal romance one.
I didn’t know going in that it was a spin off of sorts, it’s set in the same world as the Strange Neighbors Series and Flirting With Fangs Trilogy but I never felt lost, intrigued by the other characters yes, but not lost and much of that had to do with the fact that Amber was as much a newbie to the world as I was. One second she’s a flight attendant who likes her job, but doesn’t love it. to being pulled into the world of the paranormal and having to learn all the rules that come that as well as how to do her new job, which I thought was actually pretty cool. Amber, despite the crazy going on, doesn’t get all that frazzled by it. She has her WTH moments, but doesn’t have a breakdown by finding out that the creatures of the myth really do exist. Then there is Rory, our shape shifting dragon. Despite the fact that he and his sisters were kicked out of Ireland by the leprechaun’s he’s actually a pretty even keeled kind of guy. He’s upset, and rightfully so, but his need to take care of his sisters overrides it as he works to find a safe place for them to stay so they can figure out how to get back to Ireland.
The romance between Amber and Rory had potential to be a fun and crazy ride, and it certainly started out that way, but it soon took a back seat to everything else that was going on in the book. There were some funny moments as well as sweet ones between Amber and Rory, and I was happy that they did get their HEA in the end, but I wish there had been more to it.
The overall writing was enjoyable and while I didn’t have an issue with the multiple POV’s and story lines, which did end up all coming together in the end, it did detract from Amber and Rory’s romance. Outside of that, the world was an interesting one, especially since one is not allowed to speak about being a supernatural species unless they know for certain that the person they are speaking to is in fact another supernatural and I did like Mother Nature/Gaia and her take no b.s. Nature.
The Bottom Line: Though light on the romance, it was still a fun read.
~ ARC provided by SourceBooks Casablanca via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~
I didn’t know going in that it was a spin off of sorts, it’s set in the same world as the Strange Neighbors Series and Flirting With Fangs Trilogy but I never felt lost, intrigued by the other characters yes, but not lost and much of that had to do with the fact that Amber was as much a newbie to the world as I was. One second she’s a flight attendant who likes her job, but doesn’t love it. to being pulled into the world of the paranormal and having to learn all the rules that come that as well as how to do her new job, which I thought was actually pretty cool. Amber, despite the crazy going on, doesn’t get all that frazzled by it. She has her WTH moments, but doesn’t have a breakdown by finding out that the creatures of the myth really do exist. Then there is Rory, our shape shifting dragon. Despite the fact that he and his sisters were kicked out of Ireland by the leprechaun’s he’s actually a pretty even keeled kind of guy. He’s upset, and rightfully so, but his need to take care of his sisters overrides it as he works to find a safe place for them to stay so they can figure out how to get back to Ireland.
The romance between Amber and Rory had potential to be a fun and crazy ride, and it certainly started out that way, but it soon took a back seat to everything else that was going on in the book. There were some funny moments as well as sweet ones between Amber and Rory, and I was happy that they did get their HEA in the end, but I wish there had been more to it.
The overall writing was enjoyable and while I didn’t have an issue with the multiple POV’s and story lines, which did end up all coming together in the end, it did detract from Amber and Rory’s romance. Outside of that, the world was an interesting one, especially since one is not allowed to speak about being a supernatural species unless they know for certain that the person they are speaking to is in fact another supernatural and I did like Mother Nature/Gaia and her take no b.s. Nature.
The Bottom Line: Though light on the romance, it was still a fun read.
~ ARC provided by SourceBooks Casablanca via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~
January 24, 2016
I love paranormal romance and I am always looking to add new authors onto my favorite pile. Chase is a new-to-me author so I was excited to get a glimpse into the paranormal world she created.
And I have to say that I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!
Let me just start off my saying that this book had it all -- dragons, gods, witches, vampires, leprechauns, ghosts, muses -- and was wrapped up nicely in a story that contained both humor and sexy bits. The story starts as usual. Man (err...dragon) meets woman (umm...muse) and the two are wildly attracted to one another but quickly become embroiled in a battle of wills. Ok so scratch that. This story might be a wee bit different from your usual boy meets girl romance.
Rory Arish and Amber McNally have become unlikely roommates in their quest to gain ownership of the remaining one bedroom apartment in a building full of paranormals. Trust me when I say that the interactions between the couple will leave you laughing out loud. But in the midst of their living difficulties, Amber has to try to hide her new job as a muse and Rory holds back his dragon nature while still trying to fix the situation that brought him and his sisters to Boston from Ireland in the first place.
As romances go, there is a considerable amount of byplay between the characters; however, there are some very interesting secondary plot lines that kept the story moving at a good pace. At one point in the story I was actually shaking my head because I thought the story had gravitated toward a "doing too much" level. There was already a lot happening, and the mystery of the "who done it" and "when will they get caught" element felt as if it should have been the primary area of focus in the story. Then Chase went and amped it up by adding in a love sick beau who missed his lady love, and long lost cousins who were jockeying for power. I honestly just thought these were just a random thrown into the story for filler.. Whew! Boy was I wrong! Chase did an exceptional job converging the plot lines into a vividly colorful one that kicked the story to a whole other level.
I Dream of Dragons will definitely fit the bill for any paranormal romance lover and will leave you wanting more.
And I have to say that I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!
Let me just start off my saying that this book had it all -- dragons, gods, witches, vampires, leprechauns, ghosts, muses -- and was wrapped up nicely in a story that contained both humor and sexy bits. The story starts as usual. Man (err...dragon) meets woman (umm...muse) and the two are wildly attracted to one another but quickly become embroiled in a battle of wills. Ok so scratch that. This story might be a wee bit different from your usual boy meets girl romance.
Rory Arish and Amber McNally have become unlikely roommates in their quest to gain ownership of the remaining one bedroom apartment in a building full of paranormals. Trust me when I say that the interactions between the couple will leave you laughing out loud. But in the midst of their living difficulties, Amber has to try to hide her new job as a muse and Rory holds back his dragon nature while still trying to fix the situation that brought him and his sisters to Boston from Ireland in the first place.
As romances go, there is a considerable amount of byplay between the characters; however, there are some very interesting secondary plot lines that kept the story moving at a good pace. At one point in the story I was actually shaking my head because I thought the story had gravitated toward a "doing too much" level. There was already a lot happening, and the mystery of the "who done it" and "when will they get caught" element felt as if it should have been the primary area of focus in the story. Then Chase went and amped it up by adding in a love sick beau who missed his lady love, and long lost cousins who were jockeying for power. I honestly just thought these were just a random thrown into the story for filler.. Whew! Boy was I wrong! Chase did an exceptional job converging the plot lines into a vividly colorful one that kicked the story to a whole other level.
I Dream of Dragons will definitely fit the bill for any paranormal romance lover and will leave you wanting more.
August 15, 2018
I came to this trilogy late as I read the first book in Ashlyn's Phoenix Brothers series first. I really enjoyed this book.
Rory Arish and his two sisters are tossed out of their ancestral home by some leprechauns who have accused them of theft. Despite their attempts to return, magic keeps them out. Fortunately, they land in Boston and find an apartment building that's paranormal friendly.
However, the apartment that Rory rented was also rented to Amber McNally, a down-on-her-luck flight attendant. They both settle down determined to not be the first to leave and fight their attraction.
"I Dream of Dragons" is a fun read and I highly recommend it to fans of the paranormal in general and dragon lovers in particular.
Rory Arish and his two sisters are tossed out of their ancestral home by some leprechauns who have accused them of theft. Despite their attempts to return, magic keeps them out. Fortunately, they land in Boston and find an apartment building that's paranormal friendly.
However, the apartment that Rory rented was also rented to Amber McNally, a down-on-her-luck flight attendant. They both settle down determined to not be the first to leave and fight their attraction.
"I Dream of Dragons" is a fun read and I highly recommend it to fans of the paranormal in general and dragon lovers in particular.
April 21, 2017
Loved it
The humor and paranormal was excellent!!! The Goddess of All tries to find a muse is very cool and I enjoyed her snarkiness. Finding the muse and then having the dragon involved was a highlight. Sorry I forget names!!!
Having to go and forth to Ireland and America was interesting. But seeing how the village might have worked was nice to see. I hope all of Ms Chases books about the dragons are just as fun and full of humor because I plan on reading more of them.
The humor and paranormal was excellent!!! The Goddess of All tries to find a muse is very cool and I enjoyed her snarkiness. Finding the muse and then having the dragon involved was a highlight. Sorry I forget names!!!
Having to go and forth to Ireland and America was interesting. But seeing how the village might have worked was nice to see. I hope all of Ms Chases books about the dragons are just as fun and full of humor because I plan on reading more of them.
July 20, 2018
i had trouble following at first. but overall really enjoyed the book
April 25, 2016
Dragon lovers, this is the book for you. New to me author Ms. Chase keeps my attention with this lovely book about dragon shifters. The first book in this series brings to us naughty leprechauns, sexy dragons and a snarky goddess. Let's not forget the very sexy Irish human form Rory Arish possesses. Those who enjoy Candace Havens and MaryJanice Davidson, will enjoy Ms. Chase.
There is a similar irreverence to higher powers which makes this series appealing. In addition, the female interest, Amber McNally is just as klutzy and fumbling in her new rule. Amber is the comedic element. She is obviously in way over her head. She has a very steep learning curve when she learns about the supernatural world. In addition to learning her job as a muse, she needs to find a home and proceeds to have a territorial fight with a dragon, Rory.
The sparks definitely do fly between these two characters. Rory may be stubborn but Amber is mulish and rather juvenile. The games these two play are typical of romance characters. They are flighty, a bit shallow and their hormones seem to be unchecked. It makes this story a bumping relationship ride which is amusing. The conflicts in this tale are well thought out. They are not contrived which is a relief. From a world building perspective, it is intriguing and a little puzzling. I'm fine with the dragon lore. The leprechauns make sense too. What doesn't make sense is the title of "muse" when aligning with the duties of a muse in this tale. For me, a muse is one who inspires creativity in certain arts. In this world, a muse is more of a SOS babysitter. It is weird. For example, there is a muse for email. This is to make sure inappropriate or blasting emails do not go off into the internet. Seriously? I would have thought the email muse is the one who inspires the emails which go viral. This was the only piece in the story which made little sense to me. I digress.
The romance in this story is sweet. It is the stereotypical alpha man beats chest and roars whilst the simpering female swoons in delight. They games Rory and Amber play with each other are comical and ultimately bring them together. Recommended for dragon lovers who enjoy paranormal romance with a playful twist.
*provided by NetGalley
There is a similar irreverence to higher powers which makes this series appealing. In addition, the female interest, Amber McNally is just as klutzy and fumbling in her new rule. Amber is the comedic element. She is obviously in way over her head. She has a very steep learning curve when she learns about the supernatural world. In addition to learning her job as a muse, she needs to find a home and proceeds to have a territorial fight with a dragon, Rory.
The sparks definitely do fly between these two characters. Rory may be stubborn but Amber is mulish and rather juvenile. The games these two play are typical of romance characters. They are flighty, a bit shallow and their hormones seem to be unchecked. It makes this story a bumping relationship ride which is amusing. The conflicts in this tale are well thought out. They are not contrived which is a relief. From a world building perspective, it is intriguing and a little puzzling. I'm fine with the dragon lore. The leprechauns make sense too. What doesn't make sense is the title of "muse" when aligning with the duties of a muse in this tale. For me, a muse is one who inspires creativity in certain arts. In this world, a muse is more of a SOS babysitter. It is weird. For example, there is a muse for email. This is to make sure inappropriate or blasting emails do not go off into the internet. Seriously? I would have thought the email muse is the one who inspires the emails which go viral. This was the only piece in the story which made little sense to me. I digress.
The romance in this story is sweet. It is the stereotypical alpha man beats chest and roars whilst the simpering female swoons in delight. They games Rory and Amber play with each other are comical and ultimately bring them together. Recommended for dragon lovers who enjoy paranormal romance with a playful twist.
*provided by NetGalley
January 15, 2016
I Dream of Dragons (Boston Dragons Book 2)
Ashlyn Chase
Pages 352
Paranormal Romance, Shifters, Wizards, Leprechauns, Ghosts
Sourcebooks Cassablanca
Published: 4-5-2016
ASIN: B018IRSLGQ
ISBN: 978-1-4926-1006-9
Overall rating: 5 stars
Sensual rating: Explicit
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For NetGalley
Ashlyn Chase has delivered a new series that offers quirky personalities and tru family dynamics. They might fight among themselves, but woe to any outsider that messes with Rory or his sisters. These dragons stand as one to take on any fool crazy enough to threaten one of there own.
Welcome to a world of paranormal. Three leprechauns rouse Rory one evening to accuse him of stealing a pot of gold from them and demand it's immediate return. Rory denies their charge and when his sister insults the little people the three siblings are exiled from Ireland and any of England's lands by the three leprechauns, never to be permitted to return.
They eventually make their way to Boston. Now the fun begins when Rory and a spunky flight attendant vie for possession of an apartment. Shape shifters, vampires, ghost and the like abound in Boston. You are lucky enough to meet some of Boston's best. A word of warning paranormal beings will protect the secrecy of their existence.
I fell in love with the characters and story plot and hope you will too. This is a story you will hate to put down. I eagerly await book 2's release.
Amazon's Link: http://www.amazon.com/I-Dream-Dragons...
Barnes and Noble Link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-dre...
Books A Million Link:
The Reading Room Link: https://www.facebook.com/The-Reading-...#
The Reading Room: https://www.facebook.com/The-Reading-...#
Ashlyn Chase
Pages 352
Paranormal Romance, Shifters, Wizards, Leprechauns, Ghosts
Sourcebooks Cassablanca
Published: 4-5-2016
ASIN: B018IRSLGQ
ISBN: 978-1-4926-1006-9
Overall rating: 5 stars
Sensual rating: Explicit
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For NetGalley
Ashlyn Chase has delivered a new series that offers quirky personalities and tru family dynamics. They might fight among themselves, but woe to any outsider that messes with Rory or his sisters. These dragons stand as one to take on any fool crazy enough to threaten one of there own.
Welcome to a world of paranormal. Three leprechauns rouse Rory one evening to accuse him of stealing a pot of gold from them and demand it's immediate return. Rory denies their charge and when his sister insults the little people the three siblings are exiled from Ireland and any of England's lands by the three leprechauns, never to be permitted to return.
They eventually make their way to Boston. Now the fun begins when Rory and a spunky flight attendant vie for possession of an apartment. Shape shifters, vampires, ghost and the like abound in Boston. You are lucky enough to meet some of Boston's best. A word of warning paranormal beings will protect the secrecy of their existence.
I fell in love with the characters and story plot and hope you will too. This is a story you will hate to put down. I eagerly await book 2's release.
Amazon's Link: http://www.amazon.com/I-Dream-Dragons...
Barnes and Noble Link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-dre...
Books A Million Link:
The Reading Room Link: https://www.facebook.com/The-Reading-...#
The Reading Room: https://www.facebook.com/The-Reading-...#
April 5, 2016
Spotlight, Review & Giveaway: I Dream of Dragons (Boston Dragons) by Ashlyn Chase http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-4Dg
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 4 Stars
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this fun romp of a story with Rory and Amber. It was a little quirky but didn’t slide into slapstick nonsense so I was able to just sit back and enjoy. I also appreciate that the author sprinkled in the Irish dialect just enough to remind me of their origin without bogging me down trying to decipher what they were saying. It was a nice quick read with just enough romance to keep me happy.
*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
~*~*~*~
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Y1jyQz
B&N: http://bit.ly/1U8YzNy
iBooks: http://apple.co/1U8YCZS
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1U8YNED
Google: http://bit.ly/1U8YXLY
BAM: http://bit.ly/1U8Z36t
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1U8Zb61
~*~*~*~
3 Copies of I DREAM OF DRAGONS
~*~*~*~
September 12, 2023
Plot 1/5
The plot of this book makes no sense. The pacing is completely off so that it's slow in some aspects—such as incorporating random perspectives of minor characters just to force the plot to advance forward at a snail's pace—yet advances too quickly in other aspects. Particularly the romance and Amber becoming a minor goddess while being shoved into this world of magical powers and supernatural beings felt needlessly rushed. If the author had simply focused on the two main characters instead of trying to cram the personal lives of twenty or more minor characters into the mix, I think this could've easily been avoided. The paranormal side is based on poorly depicted stereotypes and barely touched on at all. For example, Rory—the male lead—is a dragon, yet we're given no details as to what that entails aside from "he can fly and breathe fire" A "dragon" can be anything from a crocodile-sized lizard to a universal guardian deity. The lack of detail and clarification on this point—and choosing to focus on what makes him more "human-like" instead—makes me question the point of making him a dragon at all? Additionally we have characters that are being accused (and condemned) of crimes without evidence or even sound reasoning only to have their punishment revoked a couple days later, even though no new evidence or information has been acquired. Knowledge, insights, gifts, and superpowers are given to characters at the snap of a finger, as opposed to earning them or putting in an ounce of effort to obtain them. There's lot of inconsistent back-and-forth travel between Ireland and Boston sometimes magically other times via flying airplanes or point-of-view swapping. The more I read, the more it became clear to me that this plot was not only poorly paced and structured, but felt like there was no logical or creative thought put into it at all.
Characters 1/5
The characters in this book are shallow, ignorant, and unlikable. Most of them defined not by their quality of character, but who/what they know, what their "powers" are, and how hot they look. Amber is given the powers of a minor goddess by Mother Nature for seemingly no reason at all. Everything she accomplishes is achieved as a result of magic, divine intervention, or "destiny". Casting her in the role of a typical overpowered, spoiled "chosen one" scenario. She plays the role of spoiled child, to a point where Mother Nature has to "ground" her at some point. Whereas Rory, in addition to his sisters, is supposedly a thousand years old, yet they all act like clueless, horny twenty-somethings with little to no real world experience or knowing how to cope with personal relationships despite their supposedly "long-lived" ages. They're overly emotional, immature, and superficial—which is especially irritating considering they're dragon shapeshifters! You'd think they'd be less concerned with the humanly physical appearances of themselves and those around them. The romance blurs the lines between lust and love. The two main characters decide that they've fallen in love and are willing to spend an eternity with one another despite having only known each other for a few days at most and the majority of that time they were getting distracted by either having "physical relations" or getting caught up in the paranormal vs. non-paranormal drama to have time for a decent conversation. There was no development or actual romance at all. Instead everything was centered around their physical attraction to one another and attributed to "destiny". Aka "Love at first sight" which, in my opinion, is more accurately "lust at first sight". Throw in fifty or so minor characters that are equally shallow and poorly fleshed out into the mix and it just completely drowns out any possibility of "true love" and instead we're given two strangers who are forced to be together due to a flimsy-structured plotline.
Setting 1/5
At first I was hopeful about the idea of a community of paranormal residents getting to know one another and becoming friends. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Half of the story takes place in the apartment of the two main characters who, because of a childish bet, are forced to live with one another, so that they rarely get a chance to mingle with the paranormal community at all. And are too busy being salty with one another over it to even allow themselves to get to know one another properly. The other half of the story takes place in Ireland, placing the spotlight on random minor characters, which completely distracts from, what I feel, should be the main focus of the story. The main characters only really interact with other members of the "Paranormal Club" whenever they want to use them for their powers. Such as the vampire's ability to command people to act or forget things. That's not true friendship at all! It's simply using and abusing their powers for their own selfish interests. As a result—like everything else in this book—the setting was bare minimum. Very few details, even on something that would've been interesting had it been touched on more such as an ancient Irish castle which came into the picture a few times, but was overshadowed by the characters and their petty feuds with one another. I generally got enough information to tell where they were, but nothing more creative then "calling a friend to hire movers to deliver furniture to a Boston apartment". Which once again, it's not true friendship if you're only getting in touch with them whenever you need to ask them for a favor.
Overall 1/5
Rarely do I give a rating this low. I honestly wanted to like this book. So I decided to give it a fair chance from beginning to end, hoping at some point my mind would change that this wasn't a complete disappointment. Unfortunately I couldn't really find anything positive to say about it in the least. Everything about this book just feels forced, underdeveloped, and illogical. It falls short of expectations both in terms of both paranormal and romance. I would not recommend this book to anyone. Especially considering there are many more similar novels in this genre that are far more entertaining, with more compelling ideas, and better execution.
The plot of this book makes no sense. The pacing is completely off so that it's slow in some aspects—such as incorporating random perspectives of minor characters just to force the plot to advance forward at a snail's pace—yet advances too quickly in other aspects. Particularly the romance and Amber becoming a minor goddess while being shoved into this world of magical powers and supernatural beings felt needlessly rushed. If the author had simply focused on the two main characters instead of trying to cram the personal lives of twenty or more minor characters into the mix, I think this could've easily been avoided. The paranormal side is based on poorly depicted stereotypes and barely touched on at all. For example, Rory—the male lead—is a dragon, yet we're given no details as to what that entails aside from "he can fly and breathe fire" A "dragon" can be anything from a crocodile-sized lizard to a universal guardian deity. The lack of detail and clarification on this point—and choosing to focus on what makes him more "human-like" instead—makes me question the point of making him a dragon at all? Additionally we have characters that are being accused (and condemned) of crimes without evidence or even sound reasoning only to have their punishment revoked a couple days later, even though no new evidence or information has been acquired. Knowledge, insights, gifts, and superpowers are given to characters at the snap of a finger, as opposed to earning them or putting in an ounce of effort to obtain them. There's lot of inconsistent back-and-forth travel between Ireland and Boston sometimes magically other times via flying airplanes or point-of-view swapping. The more I read, the more it became clear to me that this plot was not only poorly paced and structured, but felt like there was no logical or creative thought put into it at all.
Characters 1/5
The characters in this book are shallow, ignorant, and unlikable. Most of them defined not by their quality of character, but who/what they know, what their "powers" are, and how hot they look. Amber is given the powers of a minor goddess by Mother Nature for seemingly no reason at all. Everything she accomplishes is achieved as a result of magic, divine intervention, or "destiny". Casting her in the role of a typical overpowered, spoiled "chosen one" scenario. She plays the role of spoiled child, to a point where Mother Nature has to "ground" her at some point. Whereas Rory, in addition to his sisters, is supposedly a thousand years old, yet they all act like clueless, horny twenty-somethings with little to no real world experience or knowing how to cope with personal relationships despite their supposedly "long-lived" ages. They're overly emotional, immature, and superficial—which is especially irritating considering they're dragon shapeshifters! You'd think they'd be less concerned with the humanly physical appearances of themselves and those around them. The romance blurs the lines between lust and love. The two main characters decide that they've fallen in love and are willing to spend an eternity with one another despite having only known each other for a few days at most and the majority of that time they were getting distracted by either having "physical relations" or getting caught up in the paranormal vs. non-paranormal drama to have time for a decent conversation. There was no development or actual romance at all. Instead everything was centered around their physical attraction to one another and attributed to "destiny". Aka "Love at first sight" which, in my opinion, is more accurately "lust at first sight". Throw in fifty or so minor characters that are equally shallow and poorly fleshed out into the mix and it just completely drowns out any possibility of "true love" and instead we're given two strangers who are forced to be together due to a flimsy-structured plotline.
Setting 1/5
At first I was hopeful about the idea of a community of paranormal residents getting to know one another and becoming friends. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Half of the story takes place in the apartment of the two main characters who, because of a childish bet, are forced to live with one another, so that they rarely get a chance to mingle with the paranormal community at all. And are too busy being salty with one another over it to even allow themselves to get to know one another properly. The other half of the story takes place in Ireland, placing the spotlight on random minor characters, which completely distracts from, what I feel, should be the main focus of the story. The main characters only really interact with other members of the "Paranormal Club" whenever they want to use them for their powers. Such as the vampire's ability to command people to act or forget things. That's not true friendship at all! It's simply using and abusing their powers for their own selfish interests. As a result—like everything else in this book—the setting was bare minimum. Very few details, even on something that would've been interesting had it been touched on more such as an ancient Irish castle which came into the picture a few times, but was overshadowed by the characters and their petty feuds with one another. I generally got enough information to tell where they were, but nothing more creative then "calling a friend to hire movers to deliver furniture to a Boston apartment". Which once again, it's not true friendship if you're only getting in touch with them whenever you need to ask them for a favor.
Overall 1/5
Rarely do I give a rating this low. I honestly wanted to like this book. So I decided to give it a fair chance from beginning to end, hoping at some point my mind would change that this wasn't a complete disappointment. Unfortunately I couldn't really find anything positive to say about it in the least. Everything about this book just feels forced, underdeveloped, and illogical. It falls short of expectations both in terms of both paranormal and romance. I would not recommend this book to anyone. Especially considering there are many more similar novels in this genre that are far more entertaining, with more compelling ideas, and better execution.
March 11, 2016
While this book says it's #1 in the series, it's spun off of the Strange Neighbors and Flirting with Fangs series. The characters from those series pop up and reading them will make this book more enjoyable.
While I enjoyed both of those series, this one fell a bit flat for me. I had a hard time buying the romance between Amber and Rory, got annoyed with all the bickering between all the parties. What kept me reading was Mother Nature. I love how she yanks peoples chains, even her special snowflakes. The action at the apartment house was mildly interesting, loved how everyone was trying to be subtle about not revealing their true nature, not sure if it was ok to or if they would get in trouble.
While I enjoyed both of those series, this one fell a bit flat for me. I had a hard time buying the romance between Amber and Rory, got annoyed with all the bickering between all the parties. What kept me reading was Mother Nature. I love how she yanks peoples chains, even her special snowflakes. The action at the apartment house was mildly interesting, loved how everyone was trying to be subtle about not revealing their true nature, not sure if it was ok to or if they would get in trouble.
January 26, 2016
Marie's Tempting Reads Netgalley ARC Review:
Lots of fun, mayhem, and saucy romance occurs in I Dream of Dragons by Ashlyn Chase. I freaking laughed at some of the outrageous-ness that went down. I love the sexy dragon's Irish accent and his almost irresistible charm. Amber is a real fire-cracker too! She is fun, stubborn, and seems to have a thing for said hot dragon. This is truly an enjoyable romance.
Paranormal lovers will devour this delicious, magical, sassy romance eagerly. I loved the characters, the different magic species and the non-stop humor. I Dream of Dragons got a FUN, FLIRTY FOUR AND A HALF SHOOTING STARS!! Outrageously fun and smartly romantic, this story is one good time, after another.
Lots of fun, mayhem, and saucy romance occurs in I Dream of Dragons by Ashlyn Chase. I freaking laughed at some of the outrageous-ness that went down. I love the sexy dragon's Irish accent and his almost irresistible charm. Amber is a real fire-cracker too! She is fun, stubborn, and seems to have a thing for said hot dragon. This is truly an enjoyable romance.
Paranormal lovers will devour this delicious, magical, sassy romance eagerly. I loved the characters, the different magic species and the non-stop humor. I Dream of Dragons got a FUN, FLIRTY FOUR AND A HALF SHOOTING STARS!! Outrageously fun and smartly romantic, this story is one good time, after another.
January 21, 2016
I love, loved it ! This book was really good.
I enjoyed the catchy plot, quirky characters and never knowing what to expect from them or what would happen next. I really loved the main couple. Amber was great and Rory was an adorable dragon. There was a bit of a mystery and the intriguing side characters livened up the story for an interesting and fast paced read too. I loved the crazy humor and just everything else about this book. Now, I have to read the next book and will likely go back and read this author's other books that I've missed.
I Dream Of Dragons has it all, romance, humor and likeable characters. I recommend it to everyone.
April 15, 2016
Shifter novels are my guilty pleasure and was thrilled to see this on NetGalley. I was excited to read it but once I was into the second chapter, I had to stop reading. There were so many characters introduced in the first two chapters that the book felt crowded. I wondered if it was the last book a series and was the wrap up. Nope. It is listed as the first in this series, though apparently some of the characters are from another book. I find it hard to read a book that I need to make my own character list.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 12, 2016
I'm not sure how to review this book. There was a lot of dialogue and very little plot. It was all good but nothing happened. It started out with great promise and I thought it was going to be an adventure for the main characters but nothing happened after Rory and Amber met. And now they are in love? Not the best romance I've read but if you like dragon specific paranormal romance then I'm sure you will still love this book and the rest of the series to follow.
January 24, 2016
I don't quite understand the title, there wasn't any dreaming. Anyway, this was a pretty good book, has some very funny parts (glitter tits). I'd recommend it. I received this book from Netgalley
September 30, 2021
The story introduces us to three dragons that have recently been evicted from Ireland. Why you ask? For stealing leprechaun gold of course. Once evicted they manage to find their way to Boston where they are lucky enough to find a paranormal friendly apartment building. That building has exactly two apartments left to rent, one for the sisters and one for the brother. The only problem is the one apartment is rented to two different people at the exact same time, the brother and a very sexy flight attendant with a secret of her own. Clearly the only solution to this problem is to see who leaves the apartment first. After all, isn’t possession nine tenths of the law? The absolute insanity of the situation leads to some difficult and hilarious situations and possibly some budding chemistry.
I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. I loved all the different characters and their different talents. My favorite character was Gaia, she may have been a small part of the story but she made a big impact. The story had a lot of moving parts which made the story feel rushed in some places. I would have loved to see some parts of the story line expanded, maybe into their own story. You can expect to come across some “spice” in this book. While there was some romantic scenes in this book I did not feel that they took over the book
Overall this was a great book. I would recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a lite but fun read. This is a pretty quick read and would make for a great vacation book. If you enjoy romance, paranormal, comedy and a little bit of spice, this is the book for you. This was an absolute delight to read.
I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. I loved all the different characters and their different talents. My favorite character was Gaia, she may have been a small part of the story but she made a big impact. The story had a lot of moving parts which made the story feel rushed in some places. I would have loved to see some parts of the story line expanded, maybe into their own story. You can expect to come across some “spice” in this book. While there was some romantic scenes in this book I did not feel that they took over the book
Overall this was a great book. I would recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a lite but fun read. This is a pretty quick read and would make for a great vacation book. If you enjoy romance, paranormal, comedy and a little bit of spice, this is the book for you. This was an absolute delight to read.
September 26, 2024
So, this book was a bit of a mixed bag for me.
On the one hand, Amber and Rory had great chemistry, and Rory especially had that whole Irish charm going for him. Although, I did really like Amber's reasoning for becoming a flight attendant in the first place: to save up money for college while also giving her time to figure out her major. Smart woman. Together, she and Rory were very entertaining, as were the inhabitants of this world that Ashlyn Chase has concocted — well, with the exception of the blubbering Shannon, the ditzy Euterpe, and the capricious Mother Nature. (In fact, I may have to seek out the Flirting with Fangs trilogy before I continue with this series, just to get more Bliss and Brandee, especially Bliss and her husband Drake.)
Now, on the other hand, it did take about 20% or so into the book for the story to really get going, and while I can appreciate the emphasis on story and worldbuilding, there were just too many characters and too much time taken up by them. Also, the whole thing with Amber being 'grounded' by Mother Nature was such horse puckey, as it added very little to the actual story except 'runtime'. As for Amber and Rory's chemistry, I wouldn't have minded if the whole love-at-first-fight trope went on for just a bit longer, if only to get more banter and sexual tension. And speaking of, the love scenes were fine but nothing to write home about, although they did give an excellent sense of the love and care between Rory and Amber. So, there's that.
Overall Verdict: 7 shared apartments out of 10
On the one hand, Amber and Rory had great chemistry, and Rory especially had that whole Irish charm going for him. Although, I did really like Amber's reasoning for becoming a flight attendant in the first place: to save up money for college while also giving her time to figure out her major. Smart woman. Together, she and Rory were very entertaining, as were the inhabitants of this world that Ashlyn Chase has concocted — well, with the exception of the blubbering Shannon, the ditzy Euterpe, and the capricious Mother Nature. (In fact, I may have to seek out the Flirting with Fangs trilogy before I continue with this series, just to get more Bliss and Brandee, especially Bliss and her husband Drake.)
Now, on the other hand, it did take about 20% or so into the book for the story to really get going, and while I can appreciate the emphasis on story and worldbuilding, there were just too many characters and too much time taken up by them. Also, the whole thing with Amber being 'grounded' by Mother Nature was such horse puckey, as it added very little to the actual story except 'runtime'. As for Amber and Rory's chemistry, I wouldn't have minded if the whole love-at-first-fight trope went on for just a bit longer, if only to get more banter and sexual tension. And speaking of, the love scenes were fine but nothing to write home about, although they did give an excellent sense of the love and care between Rory and Amber. So, there's that.
Overall Verdict: 7 shared apartments out of 10
May 30, 2017
I really liked this one. Rory is a strong leader for his family. When they are kicked out of their family home and made to never be able to come back by some leprechauns, Rory is determined to find a way to fix it. Amber is a flight attendant who wants to change jobs and runs into a rather peculiar passenger on her last flight. Strange events lead to both Rory and Amber vying for the same apartment and neither willing to give in, but it is possible that there is more attraction between them than anything else.
I do love to read a book with an Irish accent! These dragons are hot and I am loving the stories. Rory is such a good man and strong leader that I adore him. Amber is stubborn and cunning in her own way. I love that both of Rory's sisters are willing to do anything for him. The leprechauns made me cringe and cracked me up at the same time. I loved the reaction the new dragons had to there being so many different paranormal 'species'.
It was a 4/5 for me. I like the series.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book (via netgalley). I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.
I do love to read a book with an Irish accent! These dragons are hot and I am loving the stories. Rory is such a good man and strong leader that I adore him. Amber is stubborn and cunning in her own way. I love that both of Rory's sisters are willing to do anything for him. The leprechauns made me cringe and cracked me up at the same time. I loved the reaction the new dragons had to there being so many different paranormal 'species'.
It was a 4/5 for me. I like the series.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book (via netgalley). I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.
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