What do you think?
Rate this book
Dragon Ever After #2
Once Upon a Dragon
This Cinderella's not at the ball to dance. He's a prince in disguise and he's there to steal a magic pumpkin that may be the key to saving his parents and his kingdom.
Prince Asher's task is simple.
Sneak into the Glicien Royal Ball. Uncover the royal family's closely guarded magic secrets. Escape before anyone is the wiser.
But Ash didn't plan on Princess Beatrix getting in his way at every turn.
Since tragedy drove her sisters into exile, Bea has striven to be the perfect daughter and heir. Now, the king's failing health leaves the kingdom vulnerable to political maneuvering. To protect Glicien and ease her dying father's fears, Bea must choose a consort.
Soon.
Unfortunately, only two men catch her attention.
The unsuitable and secretive gardener. And a masked nobleman who disappears from the ball after a single dance. When a magic heirloom goes missing, though, Bea discovers the two men are really the same person.
And he's the thief.
Can Bea trust Ash to help her save her kingdom and her father? Or will he steal away with her heart and her family secrets to rescue his own parents from a cruel curse?
If you're looking for a clean fairy tale fantasy romance featuring dragon-shifters, fierce princesses, adventure, magic and happily-ever-after, don't miss the entire Dragon Ever After series of re-imagined fairy tales.
Prince Asher's task is simple.
Sneak into the Glicien Royal Ball. Uncover the royal family's closely guarded magic secrets. Escape before anyone is the wiser.
But Ash didn't plan on Princess Beatrix getting in his way at every turn.
Since tragedy drove her sisters into exile, Bea has striven to be the perfect daughter and heir. Now, the king's failing health leaves the kingdom vulnerable to political maneuvering. To protect Glicien and ease her dying father's fears, Bea must choose a consort.
Soon.
Unfortunately, only two men catch her attention.
The unsuitable and secretive gardener. And a masked nobleman who disappears from the ball after a single dance. When a magic heirloom goes missing, though, Bea discovers the two men are really the same person.
And he's the thief.
Can Bea trust Ash to help her save her kingdom and her father? Or will he steal away with her heart and her family secrets to rescue his own parents from a cruel curse?
If you're looking for a clean fairy tale fantasy romance featuring dragon-shifters, fierce princesses, adventure, magic and happily-ever-after, don't miss the entire Dragon Ever After series of re-imagined fairy tales.
279 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2018
113 people are currently reading
553 people want to read
About the author
Amberlyn Holland
31 books64 followersAmberlyn grew up reading her older sister’s SFF collection and her mother’s category romances so it’s only natural her storytelling leans toward fantasy and paranormal romance.
She currently lives in Northern New York where her writing schedule, and life, revolve around the whims of her dog. When not catering to a demanding terrier or getting lost in books, she enjoys crafting, watching football and hockey, and hanging out with her husband.
If you want to keep up to date on new releases and special events, sign up for her newsletter.
She currently lives in Northern New York where her writing schedule, and life, revolve around the whims of her dog. When not catering to a demanding terrier or getting lost in books, she enjoys crafting, watching football and hockey, and hanging out with her husband.
If you want to keep up to date on new releases and special events, sign up for her newsletter.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 6, 2021
Prince Asher of Arendelle is in search of magic to help him overthrow the evil sorceress Vailia who is currently sitting on the throne of Arendelle impersonating his mother. He has been drawn to the kingdom of Glicien because of a rumor that the royal family holds magic. So, he and his two wolf-shifter companions have been working at the palace as gardeners in preparation for the ball that is being thrown to help the heir to the throne Princess Beatrix select a consort before her father succumbs to his illness. And the best way for Ash to get closer to the throne, even though he has already caught the eye of Princess Beatrix, will be to infiltrate the castle as one of the guests.
This is a romantic rendition of the Cinderella tale, woven to fit within the complicated story that is the ruling family of Ardelle. Asher is a wonderful dashing, conflicted hero, who is adorably unsure of himself and knows his duty is to his family, though he finds himself drawn to Beatrix, and wondering about her at every turn. While Bea has found herself attracted to a gardener, while trying to juggle palace life, worrying about her ailing father and the fact that the throne may soon rest on her shoulders, avoiding unsuitable suitors, and trying to appease the villainous Korgeto, a powerful duke in her court, who seems to think he can orchestrate her into doing what he wants. It also has wonderful side characters like Jalverek, the evil sorceress’s former huntsman, now trying to redeem himself with the Ardelle royals he wronged, who is stoic, with a dangerous air, and mysterious, though eager to help. And Lady Everly, Bea’s companion, who serves as her spy, who charms secrets out of all of the guards with the bat of her eyelashes. I would be interested in seeing a possible future romance story with Jalverek and Everly, just saying. I did like that it did have enough elements of the Cinderella tale in it, though reversed gender, while still being its own story. I loved Beatrix realizing he was more than just a gardener, that the mask didn’t fool her at all, and that she had to unravel the mystery around him. I loved that both Beatrix and Everly were smart characters. Why four stars and not five? Honestly, the story felt overly complicated and weighted and sluggish with all of the backstory covering events from previous books, rather than moving forward with its own plot. It kept having to infodump in dialogue, explaining all of the previous events, and it took up quite a bit of the book doing that. I’m betting if all of the complicated backstory got edited out, the book would have been only half the size, if that. Another problem is that this really isn’t a dragon shifter book, even though the series is marketed as being so. It is a fairy tale with a guy who sometimes magically turns into the shape of a dragon when he wants to, mainly for convenient transportation. There are no dragon instincts, the dragon nature isn’t influencing him in any way, it doesn’t seem to boost him in any way, and the dragon form doesn’t really have any real impact on the story. Will I be reading more of this series? The complicated backstory does have me tempted to pick up the prequel featuring Ardelle Princess Kyn, just to see how all of this started.
This is a romantic rendition of the Cinderella tale, woven to fit within the complicated story that is the ruling family of Ardelle. Asher is a wonderful dashing, conflicted hero, who is adorably unsure of himself and knows his duty is to his family, though he finds himself drawn to Beatrix, and wondering about her at every turn. While Bea has found herself attracted to a gardener, while trying to juggle palace life, worrying about her ailing father and the fact that the throne may soon rest on her shoulders, avoiding unsuitable suitors, and trying to appease the villainous Korgeto, a powerful duke in her court, who seems to think he can orchestrate her into doing what he wants. It also has wonderful side characters like Jalverek, the evil sorceress’s former huntsman, now trying to redeem himself with the Ardelle royals he wronged, who is stoic, with a dangerous air, and mysterious, though eager to help. And Lady Everly, Bea’s companion, who serves as her spy, who charms secrets out of all of the guards with the bat of her eyelashes. I would be interested in seeing a possible future romance story with Jalverek and Everly, just saying. I did like that it did have enough elements of the Cinderella tale in it, though reversed gender, while still being its own story. I loved Beatrix realizing he was more than just a gardener, that the mask didn’t fool her at all, and that she had to unravel the mystery around him. I loved that both Beatrix and Everly were smart characters. Why four stars and not five? Honestly, the story felt overly complicated and weighted and sluggish with all of the backstory covering events from previous books, rather than moving forward with its own plot. It kept having to infodump in dialogue, explaining all of the previous events, and it took up quite a bit of the book doing that. I’m betting if all of the complicated backstory got edited out, the book would have been only half the size, if that. Another problem is that this really isn’t a dragon shifter book, even though the series is marketed as being so. It is a fairy tale with a guy who sometimes magically turns into the shape of a dragon when he wants to, mainly for convenient transportation. There are no dragon instincts, the dragon nature isn’t influencing him in any way, it doesn’t seem to boost him in any way, and the dragon form doesn’t really have any real impact on the story. Will I be reading more of this series? The complicated backstory does have me tempted to pick up the prequel featuring Ardelle Princess Kyn, just to see how all of this started.
September 26, 2023
This was a casual, sweet, easy and fun read, which is why I finished it in a few hours.
Now watch me struggle to put my thoughts into words :)
So, I saw it had dragon-shifters and was convinced but the dragons didn’t come into play a lot.
I also found out in the middle of the book that it’s the second one of a series, oops. I just got it on stuff your kindle day and didn’t pay attention to that. But I think it’s also fine to read this as a standalone, as I went into it without knowing anything except the description.
What bothered me while reading was that there were quite a few typos in the ebook, I don’t know about the physical copy though.
I did love all the characters, however, I hoped they, especially Bea, would be more badass (mostly towards the end). For me personally, a little more intense action would’ve been nice, it was kind of underwhelming sometimes. Especially the important and big action scenes.
Additionally, I feel like Bea and Ash’s relationship needed a bit more build up to it but that might just be my opinion as a sucker for slow burns. I’m just not that much into insta love.
It started off really well in my opinion but I think the intensity was missing, at least for me.
I just feel like I would’ve loved it more if it was longer, more intense and explored everything a bit deeper. Or maybe a bit faster pacing.
Or maybe it’s because I didn’t read the first book before this one lmao.
Now watch me struggle to put my thoughts into words :)
So, I saw it had dragon-shifters and was convinced but the dragons didn’t come into play a lot.
I also found out in the middle of the book that it’s the second one of a series, oops. I just got it on stuff your kindle day and didn’t pay attention to that. But I think it’s also fine to read this as a standalone, as I went into it without knowing anything except the description.
What bothered me while reading was that there were quite a few typos in the ebook, I don’t know about the physical copy though.
I did love all the characters, however, I hoped they, especially Bea, would be more badass (mostly towards the end). For me personally, a little more intense action would’ve been nice, it was kind of underwhelming sometimes. Especially the important and big action scenes.
Additionally, I feel like Bea and Ash’s relationship needed a bit more build up to it but that might just be my opinion as a sucker for slow burns. I’m just not that much into insta love.
It started off really well in my opinion but I think the intensity was missing, at least for me.
I just feel like I would’ve loved it more if it was longer, more intense and explored everything a bit deeper. Or maybe a bit faster pacing.
Or maybe it’s because I didn’t read the first book before this one lmao.
Want to read
February 5, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/5/2021)! 🎁
July 11, 2023
Content:
Language: Mild. Two swear words, and mild ones.
Violence: Mild to non-existent. Characters bruised and bloodied from fights, but not graphically described. People get thrown around.
Sexual: Mild. Some kisses and hugs. Not steamy at all, totally clean.
About a 3.5
Cute little switch on the Cinderella fairy tale with the Prince being the Cinderella character. The nods to the original are fun, but this is pretty loose on a retelling. You can definitely see correlations though. It's not subtle.
The plot advances a bit on how Kyn and her brothers are still trying to save their parents and kingdom, but the main story of the book is the relationship between Bea and Ash. The save the kingdom/parents plot is secondary to the romance. The romance itself is clumsy and has no build up, it's instant. And boring. The tension tries to come from Ash keeping a secret of who he is (for about 5 seconds) and Bea being uncannily attracted to the gardener because...I have no idea. Broad shoulders?
It's a purely fluff read, and I admit I got bored. There isn't any actual romance in it, they just see each other and have a Romeo and Juliet moment and then spend the entire book basically dating and telling themselves they shouldn't, but then doing it anyway without any real conflict. They literally don't know each other and just go off of 'wow I like him and don't understand why' and don't go much into actual character or personality. It's all that instant attraction hormone type of romance, which I don't call romance. It's squeaky clean though, which I appreciate.
That being said, I've read this author's later books, and she's gotten a lot better in the character psychology writing, and is slowly improving on romance too, so I know that these early books are going to be rough. I'm reading them because I enjoy seeing the improvement and they are just an easy enjoyable read to help me sleep at night. Fluff. We all need it at times.
Language: Mild. Two swear words, and mild ones.
Violence: Mild to non-existent. Characters bruised and bloodied from fights, but not graphically described. People get thrown around.
Sexual: Mild. Some kisses and hugs. Not steamy at all, totally clean.
About a 3.5
Cute little switch on the Cinderella fairy tale with the Prince being the Cinderella character. The nods to the original are fun, but this is pretty loose on a retelling. You can definitely see correlations though. It's not subtle.
The plot advances a bit on how Kyn and her brothers are still trying to save their parents and kingdom, but the main story of the book is the relationship between Bea and Ash. The save the kingdom/parents plot is secondary to the romance. The romance itself is clumsy and has no build up, it's instant. And boring. The tension tries to come from Ash keeping a secret of who he is (for about 5 seconds) and Bea being uncannily attracted to the gardener because...I have no idea. Broad shoulders?
It's a purely fluff read, and I admit I got bored. There isn't any actual romance in it, they just see each other and have a Romeo and Juliet moment and then spend the entire book basically dating and telling themselves they shouldn't, but then doing it anyway without any real conflict. They literally don't know each other and just go off of 'wow I like him and don't understand why' and don't go much into actual character or personality. It's all that instant attraction hormone type of romance, which I don't call romance. It's squeaky clean though, which I appreciate.
That being said, I've read this author's later books, and she's gotten a lot better in the character psychology writing, and is slowly improving on romance too, so I know that these early books are going to be rough. I'm reading them because I enjoy seeing the improvement and they are just an easy enjoyable read to help me sleep at night. Fluff. We all need it at times.
October 7, 2023
Prince Asher (Ash) of Ardel is a Drake shifter. He is also of royal blood and has the signet ring to prove it. But for now, he keeps it hidden less he be known, as the evil Grey Enchantress placed a price upon his head. He is in Glcien posing as a laborer working on the palace grounds. Ash hopes to get into the palace and find what he needs, and he needs magic to free his parents from some strange form of crystal that has them imprisoned. The Prince heard rumors of wild magic being used here in the palace of Glcien, and he was here in hopes of freeing his parents. But while he was here, he met Glcien’s Royal Princess, who was extraordinarily beautiful. So much so that he almost forgot who he was supposed to be impersonating. Now, he wished he could be a spare looking to improve his station and attend the ball where she was to pick her king, but duty called.
If I had not been warned by the author that this was a retelling of a fable, I might have missed the fact it is so well done. The physical world-building is well done, and the ethereal world-building is there when it matters. The character interaction feels real. The character background is filled in nicely and gives each main character a motive for their actions and why.
This read might benefit from one more genre, shifters, but it is filled with the paranormal in a time of fantasy. It has romance, magic, and the struggle to break curses. I give this tale five stars out of five stars.
If I had not been warned by the author that this was a retelling of a fable, I might have missed the fact it is so well done. The physical world-building is well done, and the ethereal world-building is there when it matters. The character interaction feels real. The character background is filled in nicely and gives each main character a motive for their actions and why.
This read might benefit from one more genre, shifters, but it is filled with the paranormal in a time of fantasy. It has romance, magic, and the struggle to break curses. I give this tale five stars out of five stars.
January 14, 2021
🌀🌀ONE ENTHRALLING TREAT🌀🌀
Blazing buzzards boo! Amberlyn hit the ground running with this turbulent tilt-a-world, divvying out some harsh facts, brutal lessons and ruthless pursuits, holding you prisoner from start to finish, skyrocketing this gem to unbelievable heights. Temperament and attributes in layer upon layer that you peel back with each page your drawn into this tangled web so intricately and precise till everything else ceases to exist, noting the intimidating struggles and challenging triumphs, observing the deadly twists and wicked turns unfold, blasting this hot little number to life brilliantly. The characters, banter, dialogue, interactions and charged atmosphere along with relatable qualities and individual traits, blend and flow, adding depth and diversity, transforming into outstanding personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and graphic descriptions creating an elaborate backdrop so rich and lively it feels as though you're part of the story instead of on the sidelines. Remarkable job Amberlyn, thanks for sharing this amazing thrill with us.
Blazing buzzards boo! Amberlyn hit the ground running with this turbulent tilt-a-world, divvying out some harsh facts, brutal lessons and ruthless pursuits, holding you prisoner from start to finish, skyrocketing this gem to unbelievable heights. Temperament and attributes in layer upon layer that you peel back with each page your drawn into this tangled web so intricately and precise till everything else ceases to exist, noting the intimidating struggles and challenging triumphs, observing the deadly twists and wicked turns unfold, blasting this hot little number to life brilliantly. The characters, banter, dialogue, interactions and charged atmosphere along with relatable qualities and individual traits, blend and flow, adding depth and diversity, transforming into outstanding personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and graphic descriptions creating an elaborate backdrop so rich and lively it feels as though you're part of the story instead of on the sidelines. Remarkable job Amberlyn, thanks for sharing this amazing thrill with us.
March 18, 2020
After a great start with Dragon Fairest, the second installment of the series is a slightly disappointing read. There was far too much exposition--endless internal monologuing that kept interrupting the flow of the story, as well as leaving great gaps in between dialogue, making conversations between characters stilted and unnatural. The romance between Ash and Bea was also lackluster; much of their attraction was informed but not shown. Even so, I enjoyed the new angle on the Cinderella tale. The ideas are fun and imaginative, and I do look forward to seeing what twist will be brought into the next book.
January 24, 2021
Better than the last!
This exciting fantasy adventure has an interesting storyline that makes it an enjoyable read. It is well written with a fast-paced flow that keeps you interested in the characters. Bea and Ash, the main characters, needed to learn to trust each other and working together. The twists in this adventure add to the intrigue of this tale. I loved this story and look forward to the next installment in the “Dragon Ever After” series.
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review
This exciting fantasy adventure has an interesting storyline that makes it an enjoyable read. It is well written with a fast-paced flow that keeps you interested in the characters. Bea and Ash, the main characters, needed to learn to trust each other and working together. The twists in this adventure add to the intrigue of this tale. I loved this story and look forward to the next installment in the “Dragon Ever After” series.
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review
July 13, 2024
Very cute and sweet gender swapped Cinderella with a bit more focus on why the royal heir needs to marry in a hurry. This is the second in the Dragon Ever After series, and I highly recommend reading in order since the first book sets up the major conflict for the series and introduces some of the characters. This story doesn't have a lot of depth or nuance, but the characters are lovable and the romance hits all the right notes. I recommend this series for anyone looking for fun fairytale twists with dragons.
January 23, 2021
A delightful action-adventure-romance. Plenty of intrigue. A few momentary hitches between the characters. Several unexpected turns. A fabulous ending.
Action-packed. Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Happily Ever After. Haunting. Romantic. Scary. Twisted. Unpredictable. Wonderful characters.
I received a review copy of this book from a third party. This is my honest review.
Action-packed. Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Happily Ever After. Haunting. Romantic. Scary. Twisted. Unpredictable. Wonderful characters.
I received a review copy of this book from a third party. This is my honest review.
February 16, 2021
A very nice fairytale romance complete with dragon and magic.
I really liked this story and all the characters. This is a wonderful clean romance filled with danger and intrigue, princes, princesses, dragons and magic.
I really liked this story and all the characters. This is a wonderful clean romance filled with danger and intrigue, princes, princesses, dragons and magic.
October 20, 2021
Amberlyn Holland
Once Upon A Dragon (Dragon Ever After Book 2)
ARC REVIEW
Ash and Bea
I really like this book and the series so far... but what's not to like about this great reimagined fairy tale of Cinderella?
Once Upon A Dragon (Dragon Ever After Book 2)
ARC REVIEW
Ash and Bea
I really like this book and the series so far... but what's not to like about this great reimagined fairy tale of Cinderella?
November 15, 2023
An excellent book!
Two kingdoms side by side and both trying to survive the evil from within. The princess is one of 3 that were separated when there magic almost destroyed their house.
Two kingdoms side by side and both trying to survive the evil from within. The princess is one of 3 that were separated when there magic almost destroyed their house.
November 5, 2024
Loving these books
Dragon shifters, wolf shifters, fey magic, magical implements, spies, loyal friends, a happy ending for Bea and Ash but ongoing problems yet to be dealt with, what more could you ask for?
Dragon shifters, wolf shifters, fey magic, magical implements, spies, loyal friends, a happy ending for Bea and Ash but ongoing problems yet to be dealt with, what more could you ask for?
November 25, 2024
I'm obsessed
Never have I enjoyed an insta love story as much as this one. I love every character introduced in this. Plus the over arching plot weaving through these books is spectacular.
Never have I enjoyed an insta love story as much as this one. I love every character introduced in this. Plus the over arching plot weaving through these books is spectacular.
January 28, 2021
Fantastic second book to this series. ❤️. 📚. 👍
March 18, 2021
4.5 stars
May 16, 2022
Well written and interesting plot
September 17, 2023
Interesting twist
The first two books are great on the next. Let's see what happens next with Haddon in the next series
The first two books are great on the next. Let's see what happens next with Haddon in the next series
December 24, 2023
It's a nice story, there's instalove, but at least there was chemystry between MCs. There were some face-slap-worthy moments, but it was entertaining.
March 5, 2025
I'm really enjoying this series!
The characters are believable and just plain fun!
Loving it! 🙂❤️
The characters are believable and just plain fun!
Loving it! 🙂❤️
July 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 17, 2025
I'm really enjoying this series. Ash and Bea are so great together. They hold secrets that they can't share. But every time they're together, they can't deny their feelings.
This series gets better with each book. I can't wait for the next brother's adventure.
This series gets better with each book. I can't wait for the next brother's adventure.
October 24, 2025
So clever
I love these reimagined fairytales with shifters. It's fun to see how the author will twist classic tales within her overall plot. The characters are great too with plenty of intrigue and action. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
I love these reimagined fairytales with shifters. It's fun to see how the author will twist classic tales within her overall plot. The characters are great too with plenty of intrigue and action. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
June 20, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Clever, romantic, and full of political intrigue, Once Upon a Dragon reimagines Cinderella with a secretive prince and a smart, capable princess. Ash and Bea have great chemistry, and their personal stakes are compelling—family loyalty, kingdom politics, and a magical pumpkin that’s far more than it seems. The dual identities and twists in the ball scene feel like a fresh take. It’s both a fairytale romp and a story of duty and trust, with dragons, of course.
Clever, romantic, and full of political intrigue, Once Upon a Dragon reimagines Cinderella with a secretive prince and a smart, capable princess. Ash and Bea have great chemistry, and their personal stakes are compelling—family loyalty, kingdom politics, and a magical pumpkin that’s far more than it seems. The dual identities and twists in the ball scene feel like a fresh take. It’s both a fairytale romp and a story of duty and trust, with dragons, of course.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews