Mated to the Dragon King

Dragongrove #1

by Imogen Sera

She doesn't trust him.
There’s no reason he should need what he’s asking for. Besides, she has an estate full of patients to look after.
It doesn’t matter that he’s helpful, or that he’s persuasive, or that he’s the most magnificent man she’s ever seen.

He needs her.
He could just storm the house and take exactly what he wants.
Really, though, where’s the fun in that when there’s a pretty little mortal woman to seduce?

.....

Eight years ago, a fast-moving plague descended on Dragongrove Manor. In mere days, countless were dead or dying, leaving one young girl to pick up the pieces. Since that fateful day, The Lady of Dragongrove, Ingrid, has toiled day and night to care for the sick that come to estate. Yet now there is a new man at her door…
Tall, fair and intimidating, Helias towers above the usual townsfolk, piercing Ingrid with emerald eyes that spark a flame in her stomach, even as fissures of unease crawl up her spine. He is seeking to access her vast library, intent on finding the source of a similar plague that has attacked his own hometown. His purpose seems genuine, yet there is something about him that draws her like a moth to a flame… and a dangerous air that warns her to stay far away.

Librarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ASIN B077Z4KSHR here.

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Romance, Dragons, Paranormal Romance, Amazon

131 pages, ebook

Published December 6, 2017

About the author

Imogen is a self-published author who started writing paranormal romance novels in 2017. Her debut novel was Dragongrove: Mated to the Dragon King, the first book in the Dragongrove series.

She lives in Colorado with her husband and two daughters. One of her favorite activities is looking at old houses, especially anything built before 1800. She fantasizes about the day she can buy a house that's old enough to definitely be haunted.

Amazon: Imogen Sera Author Profile
Facebook: Imogen Sera page
Twitter: @imogensera
Instagram: @imogen_sera

If you haven't found my newsletter yet, don't worry, it's right here!
http://bit.ly/dragongrove-newsletter

Reviews

[angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely, good story.

This story really grabs your attention from the beginning, with it's rich, well rounded, likeable, realistic characters and wonderful story. A story about love, heartache, rebuilding, sacrificing and believing in the unbelievable. I can't wait too read the next book continuing with Ingrid and Helix.

I received this ARC from the Author, the review is my own honest opinion.

[Hannah May Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author: Imogen Sera
Pages: 138

Synopsis:

This book is the first book in the Dragongrove series. Ingrid is somehow immune to the mysterious plague that has wiped out the rest of her family. Ingrid now spends every day looking after other plague sufferers who have come to take refuge in her home. Despite the good deed, she finds her life boring and feels that things will never change for her, she will never be able to leave a broaden her horizons. This is until the arrival of a handsome stranger, who too is immune from this disease. Ingrid allows him to stay to carry out his own research and there is a strong attraction between the both of them. Ingrid soon finds herself falling for this stranger and the life she thought she was stuck in soon changes drastically.

Review:
Let me start by saying I was excited to get stuck into the Dragongrove for the simple fact that there are dragons in this book! I love dragons and I love finding fiction that brings these beautiful mythical creatures to life. Everyone loves dragons, surely?

From start to finish, Dragongrove was very fast paced and contained plenty of action which engaged me and kept my interest throughout. Sometimes in a book, I find the build up to be the best part, in this case I'm glad there was minimal build up and things took off from the beginning- this was the correct tone to use for a book like this.

I honestly loved and connected with all characters and they were all well suited for this story. I felt the chemistry and passion between the leads Ingrid and Helias from the beginning and often caught myself smiling at their dialogue throughout.

Helias is the typical hot guy that everyone wants- despite his additional benefits adding to his hotness. However by the end of the book I was left wondering if he was too good to be true and found myself thinking maybe he has a dark side that is yet to be revealed.

I found I could relate well to the main lead Ingrid- she is the typical good girl who has a heart of gold. In the past people have abused this and have left her wary of future relationships and she will push people away because she thinks she isn't good enough when she is! Ingrid risks losing something good due to her past experiences and this for me is what makes her a believable character.

Despite the book being short- there was plenty to get your teeth stuck in to. I'd have loved to have known more about the relationships between the Dragon brothers and their fathers- but I'm hoping this comes in the next instalment. I'm looking forward to following Ingrid into her new life and I have the feeling that the next instalment things will really begin to take off.

[BJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the author's 1st book, and the setting includes shifters living a human world, and there is a plague. No female dragons left so we know what happens next. And it does, but it is slow, mostly telling and not showing, so is deeply descriptive with not much dialogue. The romance had little passion, and none of the character had an fire and as they were dragons this seemed a missed opportunity. Make the dragons fiery and passionate, and the human h while kind was very bland. I do look forward to seeing more development in the next book.

[Debra Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Purch Amazon April 13, 2018
Mated to the Dragon King by Imogen Sera
Genres; Adult, Paranormal, Romance.
*Note: There is a dash of mystery and suspense.
3.25 Stars

There are a couple of typos/editing errors.
There are also a couple of jumpy spots. Not many, but they did cause me to reread those sections and interrupted the flow of the story.
The flow itself had ups & downs. There were areas that were very slow paced and others that moved quickly.
The love making scenes are relatively tame. Sweet & adult, but not erotica.

The world build is interesting, but I was often confused as to the era in which this is occurring. Sometimes it felt historical, other times not. Left me wondering if it is supposed to be another world or dimension entirely. That part is left unclear.

The main characters, Ingrid and Helias are delightful and I liked them.
Helias could be very amusing.

I also found the story-line/plot to be very enjoyable. Enough that I want to read the next book and see how it goes.
I looked it up and it is .99 on Amazon right now (7/3/18).

It's called 'Dragongrove: Becoming the Dragon Queen' and is listed as 153 pages. That seems like a fair price to me & it continues the story of Ingrid & Helias.
So, I'm going to take a chance and hope for the best.
It could be a dud, or it could be a fantastic new world for me....

[Galina Sulaiman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragon grove

A cute novel of plague that wiped out female dragons and a bunch of human beings as well. It's a tale of searching for a cure. A tale of two survivors finding love in the midst of personal tragedy. Mystery of where the plague began and a band of dragon brothers, royals no less. I enjoyed.

[Meiwilli · Rating 2 out of 5]

SLOW...snail’s pace slow.

Eight years ago a plague descended on Dragongrove and left only one survivor, Ingrid, the Lady of Dragongrove. Ingrid takes in all who are suffering from this mysterious plague that is still taking lives. So little is know about Ingrid or the plague it’s hard to care about her or the others she cares for at her home.

Helias is a dragon shifter in town researching the plague when he stumbles upon Ingrid. Although there is an instant attraction between them, neither act on it until the end of Chapter 6. By this time I’m completely bored with this story’s pace and there is no chemistry between the two. Let alone any background history on Helias either. Both characters are dropped into this story with no history, little background and no character development.

Eventually Helias’ brothers join him at Dragongrove because he thinks he’s found the source of the plague which just happens to be underneath Ingrid’s house. Things don’t get anymore interesting when the brothers arrive.

This first story is bland and clinical. Proceed with caution.

On my Were Scale of Hotness, 2 stars.

[Peggy Barnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read. I couldn't lay this book down!!

All hearts off to the author. I am certainty looking forward to reading more from this author. Additionally I enjoyed the bonus stories!!!

[Michelle Weitzmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool

Didn't think I would enjoy this as much as I did, the story is so well written almost any will enjoy it, I hope you do too

[anne pavlish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait

Can't wait to read the next book. Imogen is a new author for me. I will be reading her books in the future. This book was funny, moving and sad. Loved the character development. I love getting to know the people in a book. Enjoy this short read.

[Sara Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Plot

It took a while for me to understand that this isn't (earth)? as we know it. Carriages, and showers? The plot was nice and the characters well thought out.

[Hurdie Styles · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kinda enjoyed the book after a very slow start. I needed more backstory on Ingrid. Why was she immune to the plague? Where did the plague come from? What was the purpose of the Shrine anyway? Too many questions left unanswered. I am not curious about these characters at all..

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

An apocalyptic view of the future. Ingrid had lost all her family to an illness that killed hundreds. She used Dragongrove, her home, as an infirmary for those who were afflicted with the disease and tried to heal them. After eight years of this work, she closed her emotions off unable to bare the loss of so many more. Then she met Helias and he told her of his research into the cause of the illness. He was searching and wanted to use her library but she said no. Then he was accidentally exposed to the illness and she quarantined him in her library. As they got to know each other better their attraction to each other grew and for the first time in a long time had feelings. She was frightened of herself and tried to ignore her feelings and Helias. However fate had something else in store for her. She was Helias' mate. He knew it and was afraid to tell her. But when all was revealed she accepted. They did find the cause of the illness which was disturbing to Helias and his brothers but to resolve it, to obliterate it would mean the loss of everything Ingrid had come to love. In the end she did sacrifice everything and it seemed to cause an improvement in her patients and the land that was barren for so long, began to grow again. An excellent read highly recommended. I voluntarily received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from Exclusive ARC.

[Kim F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting, captivating read. I was blown away, I could not put it down. Wonderfully written with strong characters. I want to read more from this author. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Trashy Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book lost 1 star because of a total lack of world building. People are taking showers, eating sandwiches, and having sex without harm to their reputation, but the fastest mode of transportation is by carriage. I honestly don't know what time period or fantasy world this book was set in. While the castle was described well enough, nothing outside of that building felt grounded.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Helias & Ingrid's story is not really of any time. She wears pants, showers, and eats sandwiches, but is in a castle setting with horses and carriages?

[Birgit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eight years ago, a plague in the little village of Dragongrove nearly wiped out all the population there. Ingrid, the sole survivor of Dragongrove manor, makes an infirmary out of her home and cares for the sick and dying.
A similar illness affected all the female dragons, and the Dragon King sent out his sons to find out the source of the plague, and eliminate it. Now, Helias, eldest son, seems to have found what he was looking for in Dragongrove Manor, but there's also Ingrid...
A good plot, sympathetic and likeable protagonists, a narration flow and sentence structure which seemed more suitable to childrens' fairytales, but a choice of words aimed at a more adult readership. Furthermore, there was way too much narration, and absolutely not enough dialogues, especially between Helias and Ingrid. They were spread out like the breadcrumbs in Grimm's Hansel and Gretel! Something else that did not quite fit with the narration was the choice of words - this seemed to have been a more medieval-like world, and the more modern language used here, (or even in the thought processes of the protagonists) just did not fit in my opinion. The more steamy scenes gave me the impression they were put in with a pattern in mind, so many pages and I need a sex scene. Again - in these scenes, way too much narration, not enough dialogue.
Ah I know - nag nag nag. I was still a nice story, especially in view of the fact that the author did this in only a handful of weeks, and it was her first published story. So, for a first "try", this was not too bad, but it did not make me wish to continue this series.

[Sri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've ben meaning o read a dragon shifter book from a long while. It's been on my TBR to pick up one of the millionn dragon shifter books. This is also the reason why I have an unhealthy amount of dragon shifter freebies in my kindle. This book was one of the latest haul.

I had no expectations from it when I started it. I think the story was nice but the whole novel felt more like a prologue than an actual story. Like, it was setting up things for sure but it didn't really explore anything in depth and I think I was missing that. Like, the initial bit when it was just Ingrid and the dragon things were beautiful. But the moment some characters were introduced things went south.

The story lacked balance when it came to shining the main characters irrespective of the other characters around them. I understand introducing characters and setting up potential relationships but I felt like this novel could've done more with respect to the actual main characters who were meant to be a couple originally.

This story gets 2.5 stars from me.

All my love,
sri

[Jagged · Rating 1 out of 5]

One is harsh

But it's not possible to be any higher.
This wasn't.....awful? But it wasn't good.
This screams amateur. The story goes in a straight line. No deviation. No sub plot. No intrigue. No character development. Nothing to attach to.
None of it makes sense. Nothing is explained. It's all hints and a race to the end.
Things just happen. It's not fluid or natural. To make things worse, it's written in third person. Third person writing is harder to draw your reader into the story. It requires proper showing because there's not a direct connection between the reader and the characters. Emotions are harder to convey because you really have to work at making them seen. This book was emotionally flat. Ingrid flip flops quickly between skeptical to in love, to sad and then to uncaring.
Overall, this was empty.

One is harsh, but it isn't a two star read.

[Roberta Field · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite enjoyable

What a curious book. As much as I enjoyed the story, I never worked out what age it was supposed to be set in, medieval? modern fantasy? Anyway putting that aside, it was a good first effort and which could be read as a standalone. A love story between a sweet Dragon shifter and the only surviving lady of Dragongrove. Ingrid has dedicated her life to nursing and caring for people who are brought to her, suffering from the same plague that wiped out her entire family and household. He is searching for answers as to why the same plague has killed all the female dragons.
There is certainly room for improvement, but the book was quite enjoyable and I will probably read the next one as I would like to know what happens next.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this was Imogen's first novel ever, then well done her!! This little love story is not going to make you laugh out loud, or need tissues to get through. You aren't going to have nightmares when complete, or want to lynch the author for something she penned. The story was not overly angsty, there was no huge over-the-top drama crap, it was a great little story that just kept pulling you along with it. I liked the premise and the characters enough that I definitely want to see where they go from here, and Imogen's writing style was quick and easy to read. If the author continues writing with this type of flare, and adds a bit more depth she will quickly become one of my favourite writers!

[Michelle Fritz PA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining & Sweet. This was a sweet story with a lot of heart. The main characters complimented each other and together they will be magnificent. The plot was pretty solid and the idea of surrounding it amidst the plague was intriguing. I wish we had had a date to get a bit of perspective with. It seemed to have an old world appeal... but there were modern amenities. I believe that overall, this was a wonderful series introduction and the rest of the books will be just as enjoyable. The other brothers are very interesting and just waiting to have their stories be told.

[Lybo Buchanan · Rating 2 out of 5]

"A mysterious plague has devastated the area, and Ingrid toils endlessly to care for the infected. But when tall, intimidating Helias arrives at her door looking for answers about the epidemic, she’s drawn to the secretive stranger with piercing emerald eyes… A steamy dragon shifter romance!" **
Not much of a story line. Everything revolved around the romance & the attraction element. But the attraction did not sizzle. There was no fire. The story line was basically trying to find the source of a Plague & destroying it before more people died.

[Lucinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

I don’t have any great insight, but I read 2-4 books a week and have done so almost my whole life. I really liked this book! It’s what I want from a book. I liked the characters. I was entertained. I escaped into fantasy. And it was an easy read. At one point my husband was playing my favorite album and I didn’t realize I missed it until the end. I was “in” the story. I am buying the second one as soon as I press submit. Hope you like it as much as I did!

[Kathy Zuercher Diveley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ingrid and Helias

The plague killed Ingrids' family. So now her home is the infirmery for those who contract the plague. She and the others that survived take care of the sick. Some get better and some die. Hellas come to Dragongrove to research in the library about the plague, that also killed some of his people. His people are Dragon shifters. Helias and Ingrid fall in love. His brothers come to help him get rid of the source of the plague.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragongrove

I really love just about any book about dragons this included but I have to say I was fairly disappointed that Hellas as a dragon appeared only three times very very briefly his brothers only twice, Macon is not really about dragons but more about a love story and as Ingrid learns to except her love for him you grieve right along with them love with themAnd I can’t wait to read the second part

[bex · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5, I guess

The female MC I somewhat liked immediately. The male took longer. But the style of the sex scenes really put me off the book and I almost walked away. There is a decent story hidden under it, but it's very crude and anything but romantic in the writing style. The ending also has too much open, making it less than satisfying.

[Paula-Diane Lufflum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this author, her writing enthralled me, I couldn't put the book down. Helias is amazing, all that rippling muscle and manliness, I want one pleeeese. Imogen is a selfless, loving character, her house is beautiful and dragongrove the perfect setting. They are true soulmates and I hope it continues. A must read for all shifter romance lovers.

[Gardavson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Q

Nice. Good characters. Well done heroine who doesn't follow the norm of easily likeable heroines, which isn't particularly easy to pull off. Interested in the next in the series. Some of the sexual attitude felt out of place. It was a bit abrupt, but I suppose it fit the heroines character.

[Gail Kiogima · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wonderful Story!

This book is so full of emotion. There is a lot of pain and loss, but there is also, the wonder of love and new life.

The Dragon aspect, now that is interesting! I'm not saying what happens, but if you like dragon shifters, you're going to love this!

[Nidhi Bhatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unique in it's own way!

Though it's not specified it for some reason gave me the impression that it was a bit like Victorian England! I love dragons and this premise is quite interesting and spell binding. I also enjoyed Ingrid and Helios' point of views .