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Chinese Zodiac Romance #6
Matching Dragons
Nothing--and no one--will stand in her way
Kadence Thorne will do anything to save her sister, even risk the fury of her seductive new Lotus League partner, Lok. But she didn't join the secret league of assassins to become a Lotus, and failing the entry test was only the beginning. As punishment, they're sent to the island of the Eight Immortal, Han Xiangzi. Only through offering the Immortal a trade he can't resist can she find a cure for her sister. And Lok? Well, he'll just have to tag along for the ride.
An outcast in one world, a fugitive in the other
Amongst his dragon kin, Lok of the Shenlong Dragons is an azure-scaled beast, capable of manipulating the skies to his every whim. In the human realm, he is Lok Smith, a powerless human who must conceal his true identity at all costs. Falsely accused of murdering his den-mates, Lok has spent the past century searching for their killer--and a way to clear his name. When the Matchmaker offers him her aid in exchange for joining her Lotus League, it's a chance Lok can't refuse. Even if it means being paired with a woman as intoxicating as she is infuriating.
Pushed to the edge of passion
Kadence's search brings Lok dangerously close to exposure. Even worse, there's a treasure hidden inside Kadence, one that he--and every other dragon--will do anything to possess. When Kadence's schemes throw his plans off-balance, Lok will have to straddle both worlds and pray they don't collide.
Chinese Zodiac Romance Series Reading Order:
Book 1: Trancing the Tiger
Book 2: Rematch (Standalone novella)
Book 3: By the Horns
Book 4: Match Me Later (Standalone novella)
Book 5: Reining Him In
Book 6: Matching Dragons (Standalone novella)
Book 7: Never Match a Dragon (Standalone novella)
Book 8: In Wolf's Clothing
Other books by Rachael Slate:
Halcyon Romance Series Reading Order:
Halcyon Romance:
Book 1: Moon Borne
Book 2: Earth Borne
Book 3: Water Borne
Lords of Thessaly: (series now complete!)
Book 1: Wicked Lord of Thessaly
Book 2: Brutish Lord of Thessaly
Book 3: Masterful Lord of Thessaly
Book 4: Untamed Lord of Thessaly
Book 5: Lost Lady of Thessaly
Cursed Immortals:
Book 1: Shadow Borne
Kadence Thorne will do anything to save her sister, even risk the fury of her seductive new Lotus League partner, Lok. But she didn't join the secret league of assassins to become a Lotus, and failing the entry test was only the beginning. As punishment, they're sent to the island of the Eight Immortal, Han Xiangzi. Only through offering the Immortal a trade he can't resist can she find a cure for her sister. And Lok? Well, he'll just have to tag along for the ride.
An outcast in one world, a fugitive in the other
Amongst his dragon kin, Lok of the Shenlong Dragons is an azure-scaled beast, capable of manipulating the skies to his every whim. In the human realm, he is Lok Smith, a powerless human who must conceal his true identity at all costs. Falsely accused of murdering his den-mates, Lok has spent the past century searching for their killer--and a way to clear his name. When the Matchmaker offers him her aid in exchange for joining her Lotus League, it's a chance Lok can't refuse. Even if it means being paired with a woman as intoxicating as she is infuriating.
Pushed to the edge of passion
Kadence's search brings Lok dangerously close to exposure. Even worse, there's a treasure hidden inside Kadence, one that he--and every other dragon--will do anything to possess. When Kadence's schemes throw his plans off-balance, Lok will have to straddle both worlds and pray they don't collide.
Chinese Zodiac Romance Series Reading Order:
Book 1: Trancing the Tiger
Book 2: Rematch (Standalone novella)
Book 3: By the Horns
Book 4: Match Me Later (Standalone novella)
Book 5: Reining Him In
Book 6: Matching Dragons (Standalone novella)
Book 7: Never Match a Dragon (Standalone novella)
Book 8: In Wolf's Clothing
Other books by Rachael Slate:
Halcyon Romance Series Reading Order:
Halcyon Romance:
Book 1: Moon Borne
Book 2: Earth Borne
Book 3: Water Borne
Lords of Thessaly: (series now complete!)
Book 1: Wicked Lord of Thessaly
Book 2: Brutish Lord of Thessaly
Book 3: Masterful Lord of Thessaly
Book 4: Untamed Lord of Thessaly
Book 5: Lost Lady of Thessaly
Cursed Immortals:
Book 1: Shadow Borne
114 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 3, 2016
16 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
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November 23, 2018💝 FREE on Amazon today (11/23/2018)!💝
Blurb:
The treasure inside her is one that he--and every other dragon--will do anything to possess.
Kadence Thorne will do anything to save her sister, even risk the fury of her seductive new Lotus League partner, Lok. But she didn't join the secret league of assassins to become a Lotus, and failing the entry test was only the beginning.
Amongst his dragon kin, Lok of the Shenlong Dragons is an azure-scaled beast, capable of manipulating the skies to his every whim. In the human realm, he is Lok Smith, a powerless human who must conceal his true identity at all costs. When the irresistible Kadence's schemes throw his plans off-balance, Lok will have to straddle both worlds and pray they don't collide.
Matching Dragons features a hot new breed of shifters, set in a post-apocalyptic world where Chosen warriors must battle demonic forces--and the desires of their hearts--to restore the balance of yin and yang before humanity is destroyed forever.
Blurb:
The treasure inside her is one that he--and every other dragon--will do anything to possess.
Kadence Thorne will do anything to save her sister, even risk the fury of her seductive new Lotus League partner, Lok. But she didn't join the secret league of assassins to become a Lotus, and failing the entry test was only the beginning.
Amongst his dragon kin, Lok of the Shenlong Dragons is an azure-scaled beast, capable of manipulating the skies to his every whim. In the human realm, he is Lok Smith, a powerless human who must conceal his true identity at all costs. When the irresistible Kadence's schemes throw his plans off-balance, Lok will have to straddle both worlds and pray they don't collide.
Matching Dragons features a hot new breed of shifters, set in a post-apocalyptic world where Chosen warriors must battle demonic forces--and the desires of their hearts--to restore the balance of yin and yang before humanity is destroyed forever.
February 7, 2017
***This review was first posted on book blog Will Read for Feels.
It’s been a while since I revisited Rachael Slate’s Chinese Zodiac fantasy romance series, and I found that not only did book 7 just get released, but I’d missed reading book 6 when it first came out. So I figured, why not go with a back-to-back review of both? After all, it would be great to catch up, plus both books feature heroes who can shift into dragons! So here’re my thoughts with book 6, Matching Dragons.
One thing I’ve come to expect of characters from this series—and indeed characters from all this author’s books—is that you get a pairing of heroes. What I mean is that both the main characters tend to be fierce in their ideals, their causes, and their passions, and as a result they don’t so much as fall in love as fling themselves into it. Of course, the wily mystical Matchmaker who plucks strings of fate like a harpist savant helps push them over the edge into lust and love.
But that hero coupling is as true for Matching Dragons as it is with others in the series. Kadence is on a mission to save her sister’s life, while Lok is determined to find the villain who murdered his den-mates, proving he isn’t guilty of the crime himself. He’s drawn into her quest even though it puts him at risk from the authorities he’s been running from since childhood. Naturally, they bicker a lot. Naturally, they all but light the pages of this book on fire. And naturally, when they come together, it’s with a bang—literally and figuratively.
This book is a fairly short read (Amazon lists it at 104 pages), so you can easily get from start to finish in one sitting, as I did. The world-building and immersion isn’t quite as involved as the first couple of books in the series, but I think it’ll work as a standalone, since most of the other characters don’t factor into this. But you’ll want to make sure you read this with the fan on—or a cool drink of something alcoholic on hand—as it’s got Slate’s signature steamy style all over it.
It’s been a while since I revisited Rachael Slate’s Chinese Zodiac fantasy romance series, and I found that not only did book 7 just get released, but I’d missed reading book 6 when it first came out. So I figured, why not go with a back-to-back review of both? After all, it would be great to catch up, plus both books feature heroes who can shift into dragons! So here’re my thoughts with book 6, Matching Dragons.
One thing I’ve come to expect of characters from this series—and indeed characters from all this author’s books—is that you get a pairing of heroes. What I mean is that both the main characters tend to be fierce in their ideals, their causes, and their passions, and as a result they don’t so much as fall in love as fling themselves into it. Of course, the wily mystical Matchmaker who plucks strings of fate like a harpist savant helps push them over the edge into lust and love.
But that hero coupling is as true for Matching Dragons as it is with others in the series. Kadence is on a mission to save her sister’s life, while Lok is determined to find the villain who murdered his den-mates, proving he isn’t guilty of the crime himself. He’s drawn into her quest even though it puts him at risk from the authorities he’s been running from since childhood. Naturally, they bicker a lot. Naturally, they all but light the pages of this book on fire. And naturally, when they come together, it’s with a bang—literally and figuratively.
This book is a fairly short read (Amazon lists it at 104 pages), so you can easily get from start to finish in one sitting, as I did. The world-building and immersion isn’t quite as involved as the first couple of books in the series, but I think it’ll work as a standalone, since most of the other characters don’t factor into this. But you’ll want to make sure you read this with the fan on—or a cool drink of something alcoholic on hand—as it’s got Slate’s signature steamy style all over it.
Want to read
January 8, 2023Purchase Amazon October 20, 2019
September 23, 2016
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Summary: Matching Dragons
Nothing--and no one--will stand in her way
Kadence Thorne will do anything to save her sister, even risk the fury of her seductive new Lotus League partner, Lok. But she didn't join the secret league of assassins to become a Lotus, and failing the entry test was only the beginning. As punishment, they're sent to the island of the Eight Immortal, Han Xiangzi. Only through offering the Immortal a trade he can't resist can she find a cure for her sister. And Lok? Well, he'll just have to tag along for the ride.
An outcast in one world, a fugitive in the other
Amongst his dragon kin, Lok of the Shenlong Dragons is an azure-scaled beast, capable of manipulating the skies to his every whim. In the human realm, he is Lok Smith, a powerless human who must conceal his true identity at all costs. Falsely accused of murdering his den-mates, Lok has spent the past century searching for their killer--and a way to clear his name. When the Matchmaker offers him her aid in exchange for joining her Lotus League, it's a chance Lok can't refuse. Even if it means being paired with a woman as intoxicating as she is infuriating.
Pushed to the edge of passion
Kadence's search brings Lok dangerously close to exposure. Even worse, there's a treasure hidden inside Kadence, one that he--and every other dragon--will do anything to possess. When Kadence's schemes throw his plans off-balance, Lok will have to straddle both worlds and pray they don't collide.
Review:
This is a fast pace fun little Novella… I’ve not read any other books in this series as I received this book free for my review, as it’s a stand-alone Novella in the series and can be read without reading the rest of the series. I enjoyed it and would have given it higher ratings, except, there are little grammatical errors throughout… using the wrong word or leaving out a word. To me, grammatical errors take away from the full enjoyment of the book those three star rating.
Conclusion:
Would you recommend this to others? YES
Would you read other books written by this Author? Maybe
Is this book a Novel or Novella? Novella
Is this book priced correctly? YES
Summary: Matching Dragons
Nothing--and no one--will stand in her way
Kadence Thorne will do anything to save her sister, even risk the fury of her seductive new Lotus League partner, Lok. But she didn't join the secret league of assassins to become a Lotus, and failing the entry test was only the beginning. As punishment, they're sent to the island of the Eight Immortal, Han Xiangzi. Only through offering the Immortal a trade he can't resist can she find a cure for her sister. And Lok? Well, he'll just have to tag along for the ride.
An outcast in one world, a fugitive in the other
Amongst his dragon kin, Lok of the Shenlong Dragons is an azure-scaled beast, capable of manipulating the skies to his every whim. In the human realm, he is Lok Smith, a powerless human who must conceal his true identity at all costs. Falsely accused of murdering his den-mates, Lok has spent the past century searching for their killer--and a way to clear his name. When the Matchmaker offers him her aid in exchange for joining her Lotus League, it's a chance Lok can't refuse. Even if it means being paired with a woman as intoxicating as she is infuriating.
Pushed to the edge of passion
Kadence's search brings Lok dangerously close to exposure. Even worse, there's a treasure hidden inside Kadence, one that he--and every other dragon--will do anything to possess. When Kadence's schemes throw his plans off-balance, Lok will have to straddle both worlds and pray they don't collide.
Review:
This is a fast pace fun little Novella… I’ve not read any other books in this series as I received this book free for my review, as it’s a stand-alone Novella in the series and can be read without reading the rest of the series. I enjoyed it and would have given it higher ratings, except, there are little grammatical errors throughout… using the wrong word or leaving out a word. To me, grammatical errors take away from the full enjoyment of the book those three star rating.
Conclusion:
Would you recommend this to others? YES
Would you read other books written by this Author? Maybe
Is this book a Novel or Novella? Novella
Is this book priced correctly? YES
January 29, 2017
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A Review of Matching Dragons by Rachael Slate
*****Located in Alpha Shifters After Dark Boxed Set
Can love really be that quick - 5 stars
This is the latest novella in the Chinese Zodiac Romance Series. In this book, we focus on Lok, a dragon that has been in hiding in the human realm for a century - accused of the deaths of his den-mates (brothers/sisters), while searching for their true killer. The Matchmaker (ever present in this series) has offered him her help in exchange for him joining her Lotus League.
In training, he meets Kadence, who needs to fail the entrance test is the first step of her plan to help her gravely ill sister. She has found out that the blood of a dragon will save her sister, giving her back her health. Strings are always being pulled behind the scenes, but there is an immediate spark between these two that both are fighting. The matchmaker divides her new recruits into pairs that must make sure they survive together.
When Kadence does everything she can to make sure they fail the test, they are both sent off to do penance, together. Kadence had already set it up so that she would be going to the house of one of the eight immortals, who she plans to propose a trade -- she will find and free his imprisoned dragon lover and he will allow her to draw a measure of the dragon's blood.
"Kadence's search brings Lok dangerously close to exposure. Even worse, there's a treasure hidden inside Kadence, one that he -- and every other dragon -- will do anything to possess. When Kadence's schemes throw his plans off-balance, Lok will have to straddle both worlds and pray they don't collide."
**Complimentary Copy provided by Author for an honest review.**
A Review of Matching Dragons by Rachael Slate
*****Located in Alpha Shifters After Dark Boxed Set
Can love really be that quick - 5 stars
This is the latest novella in the Chinese Zodiac Romance Series. In this book, we focus on Lok, a dragon that has been in hiding in the human realm for a century - accused of the deaths of his den-mates (brothers/sisters), while searching for their true killer. The Matchmaker (ever present in this series) has offered him her help in exchange for him joining her Lotus League.
In training, he meets Kadence, who needs to fail the entrance test is the first step of her plan to help her gravely ill sister. She has found out that the blood of a dragon will save her sister, giving her back her health. Strings are always being pulled behind the scenes, but there is an immediate spark between these two that both are fighting. The matchmaker divides her new recruits into pairs that must make sure they survive together.
When Kadence does everything she can to make sure they fail the test, they are both sent off to do penance, together. Kadence had already set it up so that she would be going to the house of one of the eight immortals, who she plans to propose a trade -- she will find and free his imprisoned dragon lover and he will allow her to draw a measure of the dragon's blood.
"Kadence's search brings Lok dangerously close to exposure. Even worse, there's a treasure hidden inside Kadence, one that he -- and every other dragon -- will do anything to possess. When Kadence's schemes throw his plans off-balance, Lok will have to straddle both worlds and pray they don't collide."
**Complimentary Copy provided by Author for an honest review.**
October 17, 2016
The Matchmaker is at it again, what does she have up her sleeve this time?
Kadence is on a mission, feeling guilty for her sister's illness brought on because she had a fling with the Monkey King.. The only thing that will save her is Dragon's blood. Thus starts her search for the very coveted and hard to find blood. Little does she know that it's staring her right in the face in the form of her very obnoxious, but hot partner. She doesn't even realize the power she holds over him either, a power that could be the end of both hers and his problems.
Lok has been hiding in his human form for centuries, having been wrongly accused of the anihalation of his entire Den.. His only purpose for still living is finding the one responsible and getting revenge. Then he meets Kadence and she holds the only thing most coveted by a dragon, but he can never possess it, her. The thing is Kadence doesn't even know the power over him that she has and that makes it even sweeter.
I loved this story, very suspenseful, passionate and very surprising too. The Chinese Zodiac stories are so good!
Kadence is on a mission, feeling guilty for her sister's illness brought on because she had a fling with the Monkey King.. The only thing that will save her is Dragon's blood. Thus starts her search for the very coveted and hard to find blood. Little does she know that it's staring her right in the face in the form of her very obnoxious, but hot partner. She doesn't even realize the power she holds over him either, a power that could be the end of both hers and his problems.
Lok has been hiding in his human form for centuries, having been wrongly accused of the anihalation of his entire Den.. His only purpose for still living is finding the one responsible and getting revenge. Then he meets Kadence and she holds the only thing most coveted by a dragon, but he can never possess it, her. The thing is Kadence doesn't even know the power over him that she has and that makes it even sweeter.
I loved this story, very suspenseful, passionate and very surprising too. The Chinese Zodiac stories are so good!
March 31, 2017
A beautiful story about the Mattchmaker offering Lok, her help in exchange for Joining her Lotus League, he is a shifter part human and part dragon. The beautiful Lok is an outcast in one world, A fugitive in the other, among his dragon family Lok of the Shenlong Dragons, he is an Azure-scaled beast. What the matchmaker is offering he can not turn down, even if it means being set up with Kadence Thorne. She is very annoying but beautiful. Kadence is an immordal, she is out to rescue her sister. And when Kadence and Lok finally decide to work together sparks begin to fly and both Kadence and Lok have secrets that they are keeping from each other…
September 11, 2016
If you are into dragon shifter stories this is your story.
Okay Lok is forst hiding the fact he is a dragon shifter, to safe his life.
But with Kadence fighting to safe her sister and not doing what would best for him he has no choice as to help her out.
This because he is attracted to her and not only because her hidden secret.
At the end there were some twists in the story that made me think come on, why? Why not telling that earlier, that would have saved a lot of trouble.
But the story between Lok and Kadance is a hot one.
Okay Lok is forst hiding the fact he is a dragon shifter, to safe his life.
But with Kadence fighting to safe her sister and not doing what would best for him he has no choice as to help her out.
This because he is attracted to her and not only because her hidden secret.
At the end there were some twists in the story that made me think come on, why? Why not telling that earlier, that would have saved a lot of trouble.
But the story between Lok and Kadance is a hot one.
June 2, 2018
Witty banter and plenty of sparks fly in this book. Lok and Kadence make quite a pair. Each has their own agenda and big secrets. The chemistry is very hot and the attraction unwanted but hard to resist. Both these characters are strong, determined and capable, which only adds fuel to the fire of their scenes. Filled with drama, suspense, action, danger, passion, and romance, this unique shifter series that is set in a post-apocalyptic world and offers a brilliant blend of good, evil and mythology. A very good read and addition to this series. I'm voluntarily posting an honest review.
November 22, 2017
A rare treasure indeed
Lok is hidden in the human world, seeking vengeance for the murder of his clan, when he's paired with a human woman. Kadence is on her own mission, to save her sister, she doesn't have time for a growly male. Thrown into a penance together, they get involved with a rescue that goes all kinds of wrong. They need to learn to trust one another as they each have what the other needs.
Lok is hidden in the human world, seeking vengeance for the murder of his clan, when he's paired with a human woman. Kadence is on her own mission, to save her sister, she doesn't have time for a growly male. Thrown into a penance together, they get involved with a rescue that goes all kinds of wrong. They need to learn to trust one another as they each have what the other needs.
March 20, 2018
Dragons! Who knew???
Wow! Rachael wrote an intense and hot story about a dragon and a lovely pearl. She draws you into this story and you can’t get out. I couldn’t put this book down. Lok is so enticing and Kadence keeps him on his toes. I love the banter between the two and how she has their relationship grow. This is definitely a book I recommend.
Wow! Rachael wrote an intense and hot story about a dragon and a lovely pearl. She draws you into this story and you can’t get out. I couldn’t put this book down. Lok is so enticing and Kadence keeps him on his toes. I love the banter between the two and how she has their relationship grow. This is definitely a book I recommend.
May 24, 2018
No Life For Him
It's taken him a century to get closer to whoever set him up. He meets perfection for his kind and he can't claim her. $he will do anything to save her sister's life. How was she to know that what she was looking for is right in front of her. Enjoy I did.
It's taken him a century to get closer to whoever set him up. He meets perfection for his kind and he can't claim her. $he will do anything to save her sister's life. How was she to know that what she was looking for is right in front of her. Enjoy I did.
June 5, 2020
Matching Dragons - Action, Adventure, and a Matchmaker
Well done! Highly enjoyable story that is woven through with mythology and action. The Matchmaker is at it again. She loves to set up people and watch the fall out. Good read.
Well done! Highly enjoyable story that is woven through with mythology and action. The Matchmaker is at it again. She loves to set up people and watch the fall out. Good read.
October 19, 2016
*I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinion stated are solely my own and no one else's*
This was a short, dragon shifter story and I really enjoyed it.
Kadence is on a mission to save her sister but she needs something that is big easily found.
Lok has been hiding in human form that is until he sees Kadence. She's a rare beauty: a pearl, and his dragon wants to claim her. Will he succeed?
I enjoyed the constant push and pull between Lok and Kadence. Their bantering was amusing and I liked Lok's idea of chaining her to him - the little minx may have tricked him once but he definitely won't allow her to do again lol.
This was a short, dragon shifter story and I really enjoyed it.
Kadence is on a mission to save her sister but she needs something that is big easily found.
Lok has been hiding in human form that is until he sees Kadence. She's a rare beauty: a pearl, and his dragon wants to claim her. Will he succeed?
I enjoyed the constant push and pull between Lok and Kadence. Their bantering was amusing and I liked Lok's idea of chaining her to him - the little minx may have tricked him once but he definitely won't allow her to do again lol.
July 12, 2016
This story was originally included in the Alpha Shifters After Dark box set.
Rachael Slate's Chinese Zodiac series is terrific. It is so unusual compared to other romance series, and therefore that wee bit more special.
The story of Lok and Kadence will keep you entertained. Adventure, action, and a great story with full, fleshy and real characters. Oh, and you'll need a cool air fan...
Rachael Slate's Chinese Zodiac series is terrific. It is so unusual compared to other romance series, and therefore that wee bit more special.
The story of Lok and Kadence will keep you entertained. Adventure, action, and a great story with full, fleshy and real characters. Oh, and you'll need a cool air fan...
August 17, 2016
This was originally released in Alpha Shifters at Night. After a century of hiding, Lok is forced to reveal his true nature in order to keep Kadence and her hidden treasure to himself. "His nature warred with his desires, but in the end, they were the same." Great read, dragons, sexy times and a HEA, what more could you ask for?
September 8, 2016
Never read anything from this author before and wasn't sure what to expect. I have to say was surprised and quite happy! The characters were interesting and the story was really good. There were things that I had never heard of about dragons before and the story was really interesting, chuckled a couple of times and even got a little tense there too! I definitely recommend this book.
February 7, 2017
Rachael does it every time and I'm not sure how. She makes me laugh, fall in love, and sob like a baby. Read this in a sitting before bed and was pleased with how it turned out. The main characters were great for each other. Lok is definitely the kind of Dragon I would not mind getting wrapped up in. Great story.
September 16, 2016
Kadence just wants to get some dragon blood to cure her sister who is seriously ill , Lok just wants to stay under the radar where dragons are concerned , neither is what they appear to be but both need each other in different ways . A nice shifter story with a difference that i really enjoyed
December 14, 2016
Fun read. First Chinese Zodiac story I have read. Definitely interested in reading the rest of the series.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews