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Lewiston Dragons #1
Protector Dragon
Shifters ruined his life. How can he be falling in love with one?
Growing up the only human in a shifter town, Joel has been an outcast his entire life - not even his own family let him forget how weak humans are. Running away was his only chance at a normal life, and he's been avoiding shifters ever since. But when his job working in a coffee shop puts him in a room full of shifters, he has to confront his worst fears. He's just not sure if he should be alarmed or happy that the hottest guy he's ever met is determined to talk to him. After all, everyone knows shifters aren't attracted to humans.
Dragon shifter Thomas Rollins thought nothing could be more difficult than resolving arguments between the shifters in his district. But when he meets his fated mate Joel, he has no clue how to get the suspicious human to talk to him for more than five minutes, never mind go out on a date. When he learns about Joel's past, he's determined to prove shifters and humans can get along very well.
Just as Joel is starting to let his guard down, his family finds him and forces him to come back to a place he refuses to call home. Can the trust Joel and Thomas have started to build survive the ultimate test?
Protector Dragon is a m/m paranormal dragon shifter/human romance with a HEA and no cliffhangers
Growing up the only human in a shifter town, Joel has been an outcast his entire life - not even his own family let him forget how weak humans are. Running away was his only chance at a normal life, and he's been avoiding shifters ever since. But when his job working in a coffee shop puts him in a room full of shifters, he has to confront his worst fears. He's just not sure if he should be alarmed or happy that the hottest guy he's ever met is determined to talk to him. After all, everyone knows shifters aren't attracted to humans.
Dragon shifter Thomas Rollins thought nothing could be more difficult than resolving arguments between the shifters in his district. But when he meets his fated mate Joel, he has no clue how to get the suspicious human to talk to him for more than five minutes, never mind go out on a date. When he learns about Joel's past, he's determined to prove shifters and humans can get along very well.
Just as Joel is starting to let his guard down, his family finds him and forces him to come back to a place he refuses to call home. Can the trust Joel and Thomas have started to build survive the ultimate test?
Protector Dragon is a m/m paranormal dragon shifter/human romance with a HEA and no cliffhangers
159 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 17, 2019
182 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Liv Rider
17 books85 followersLiv Rider is the combined pen name of a group of friends with a shared love of M/M paranormal romance. Jump into one of Liv's books for a steamy paranormal journey, always with a Happily Ever After.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
October 22, 2019
3.5 stars
This is a new to me author and I’m actually very impressed with the writing. However, I am rounding it down to 3 stars because it felt to me like the author kept things light and fluffy and a little silly on purpose. I mean, the writing style was great. The characters had character and all. Even the “useless” human had valid opinions and was respected and such. I liked that progressiveness. But then the author injected way too much fluff and added a damsel-in-distress scenario and I’m like, why?!?!? 😑 it was going so well! 😒
I might read the next book in this series. I hope it improves because I really liked where it was going before it sorta fell apart 🙈
This is a new to me author and I’m actually very impressed with the writing. However, I am rounding it down to 3 stars because it felt to me like the author kept things light and fluffy and a little silly on purpose. I mean, the writing style was great. The characters had character and all. Even the “useless” human had valid opinions and was respected and such. I liked that progressiveness. But then the author injected way too much fluff and added a damsel-in-distress scenario and I’m like, why?!?!? 😑 it was going so well! 😒
I might read the next book in this series. I hope it improves because I really liked where it was going before it sorta fell apart 🙈
April 6, 2019
This was an easy read with a different premise than most shifter novels. In this Joel is the odd man out as a non-shifting member of a shifter town. The town actually sounds awful and his family was delusional but I liked Joel and Thomas together.
June 29, 2024
Great book!! Both the MC were refreshing. Respectful of each other, good banter, interesting story. I will definitely add this author to my list, and have already checked out book 2 of this series on KU.
March 24, 2019
I liked this one very much. This is the first story that has addressed the non shifters in a family of them to this extent. There was a lot in the story, some I had not even thought of. It made a good point. Very pleased with this one. I received a complimentary review copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving a honest review.
March 20, 2019
Touching fated-mates story filled with action, bad guys and a romantic rescue! Oh i just loved the world-building in this story. I loved the idea of a Dragon being the Keeper of the Peace for an area and all the complications that could arise working with a shifter council. So many different types of shifters and relationships gave amazing depth to this story.
I also enjoyed the social implications of having a human as a minority within shifter communities and how under-represented and unprotected that person would be.
Tomas and Joel use a lot of communication to build trust and give their relationship a chance. These MC's are both well crafted and you will fall in love with them both.
i loved the kidnapping rescue of Joel by Thomas and so enjoyed the dialogue that Thomas had with his dragon. Thomas's dragon is really cool!!
I liked Thomas's dragon friends, the other Keeper's of the Peace and i hope that the author has plans for us to get their stories too!!
I was gifted this book from the author and i freely give my review.
I also enjoyed the social implications of having a human as a minority within shifter communities and how under-represented and unprotected that person would be.
Tomas and Joel use a lot of communication to build trust and give their relationship a chance. These MC's are both well crafted and you will fall in love with them both.
i loved the kidnapping rescue of Joel by Thomas and so enjoyed the dialogue that Thomas had with his dragon. Thomas's dragon is really cool!!
I liked Thomas's dragon friends, the other Keeper's of the Peace and i hope that the author has plans for us to get their stories too!!
I was gifted this book from the author and i freely give my review.
book-not-for-me
December 21, 2024Stodgy story with many monotonous inner monologues.
Drenched with dull dialogue.
Chock-full of colorless characters,
who were indistinct and insipid.
Drab descriptions devolving from deficient to defunct.
Irksome info-dumping.
Passionless platitudes.
Simply Said:
Drenched with dull dialogue.
Chock-full of colorless characters,
who were indistinct and insipid.
Drab descriptions devolving from deficient to defunct.
Irksome info-dumping.
Passionless platitudes.
Simply Said:
October 11, 2020
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I discovered this author thanks to the second book of this series being for free @ Amazon. I love shapeshifters romances, and much more dragons ones! Even though the blurb said the three books can be read as standalone, when I saw the first one was available with KU I went for it. Why start from the second book when you can start from the first??
I enjoyed reading this even if is not one of my favorite shapeshifters romances. I hurt with Joel's story and hate his family, and I found really interesting that the author created such a vivid shape-shifting community, as they are really different when they grow up in big cities than when they grow up in small town... Just like in real life, isn't it? I sometimes find it hard to belive how some book series have really strict and defined personalities for each of their creatures without taking into account little details such as where they grow up. Here, small town shapeshifters are more close minded and tent to be more racist toward humans that big cities ones.
Joel is the son of a wolf shapeshifter and a human man that left them when he discovered her girlfriend's true self. Time went on, his mom remarried and had more sons... And soon it was clear Joel couldn't shift: he was the only human in a small town, and that made him the target of bullies and much more. Tired of being mistreated, he runs away and starts anew in a big city, fearing the moment his family finds him.
Enter Thomas into the picture, big dragon shapeshifter who only needs one glance at him to know they are fated mates. Their first encounters are pretty nice in a messed sense. This means they are nicely developed and that Joel, having the backstory he has, needs some time to come around to the idea.
The worst thing for me was that everything felt pretty quick since their first date on. I get "fated mates" plots are usually rushed because the author's use that as an excuse to bring the L-word too quickly to my taste... But there are some amazing stories in which the authors take their times and don't take love as a given just because they are bonded by fate. I'm not trying to say this was terrible, at all, just it would have been better for me if this wouldn't have been so rushed.
Then the story turns and Joel's past comes back to hunt him. This was pretty nice but I must confess I couldn't emphasize with some characters. I understand Dylan and Joel's dad because they are plain stupid and that excuses their attitude... But I didn't quite understand Adam's standing point in all this story, and much less Joel's mom's. I mean... The woman dated a human and had a son with him, but then when his son turns to be a human too she changes his attitude towards him? Why? There was no explanation for this and I was kind of expecting one.
The romance was not bad, but not amazing either. As I said, it felt a little bit rushed and that's something that diminishes a little bit the good point, at least for me. I know there are many readers that love this stories regardless. It's just about tastes, I guess.
Overall, this was not the best read ever, but it was one I enjoyed and that left me wanting to know more about Parker and Mitchell. I won't pick the second book right away, but I will read it soon. I will cross my fingers for it to be a little more slowburning... But I won't count on that lol
I discovered this author thanks to the second book of this series being for free @ Amazon. I love shapeshifters romances, and much more dragons ones! Even though the blurb said the three books can be read as standalone, when I saw the first one was available with KU I went for it. Why start from the second book when you can start from the first??
I enjoyed reading this even if is not one of my favorite shapeshifters romances. I hurt with Joel's story and hate his family, and I found really interesting that the author created such a vivid shape-shifting community, as they are really different when they grow up in big cities than when they grow up in small town... Just like in real life, isn't it? I sometimes find it hard to belive how some book series have really strict and defined personalities for each of their creatures without taking into account little details such as where they grow up. Here, small town shapeshifters are more close minded and tent to be more racist toward humans that big cities ones.
Joel is the son of a wolf shapeshifter and a human man that left them when he discovered her girlfriend's true self. Time went on, his mom remarried and had more sons... And soon it was clear Joel couldn't shift: he was the only human in a small town, and that made him the target of bullies and much more. Tired of being mistreated, he runs away and starts anew in a big city, fearing the moment his family finds him.
Enter Thomas into the picture, big dragon shapeshifter who only needs one glance at him to know they are fated mates. Their first encounters are pretty nice in a messed sense. This means they are nicely developed and that Joel, having the backstory he has, needs some time to come around to the idea.
The worst thing for me was that everything felt pretty quick since their first date on. I get "fated mates" plots are usually rushed because the author's use that as an excuse to bring the L-word too quickly to my taste... But there are some amazing stories in which the authors take their times and don't take love as a given just because they are bonded by fate. I'm not trying to say this was terrible, at all, just it would have been better for me if this wouldn't have been so rushed.
Then the story turns and Joel's past comes back to hunt him. This was pretty nice but I must confess I couldn't emphasize with some characters. I understand Dylan and Joel's dad because they are plain stupid and that excuses their attitude... But I didn't quite understand Adam's standing point in all this story, and much less Joel's mom's. I mean... The woman dated a human and had a son with him, but then when his son turns to be a human too she changes his attitude towards him? Why? There was no explanation for this and I was kind of expecting one.
The romance was not bad, but not amazing either. As I said, it felt a little bit rushed and that's something that diminishes a little bit the good point, at least for me. I know there are many readers that love this stories regardless. It's just about tastes, I guess.
Overall, this was not the best read ever, but it was one I enjoyed and that left me wanting to know more about Parker and Mitchell. I won't pick the second book right away, but I will read it soon. I will cross my fingers for it to be a little more slowburning... But I won't count on that lol
April 5, 2022
Joel is a human born into a shifter family so he knows all about shifter communities and tries to avoid them. Thomas is a dragon shifter and the Keeper of The Peace. He hires a human catering company to provide food for an event and meets his true mate - Joel.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author but I enjoyed it. I loved how protective Thomas was and how strong and determined Joel was. The whole concept of a human born into a shifter family was different but I really enjoyed it. Will definitely look to read more by this author in future.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author but I enjoyed it. I loved how protective Thomas was and how strong and determined Joel was. The whole concept of a human born into a shifter family was different but I really enjoyed it. Will definitely look to read more by this author in future.
January 23, 2024
Cute, short, but the showdown was too easy, predictable and too good/bad thinking.
Nevertheless I had a few good reading hours 🥰
Nevertheless I had a few good reading hours 🥰
August 8, 2022
Protector Dragon is the first book in the ‘Lewiston Dragons’ series. It stars Joel, a human and barista, and Thomas Rollins, a dragon shifter and Keeper of the Peace. This is told in third person from Joel and Thomas’s povs.
April 4, 2019
Fun couple, but the plot had some major holes
I never quite understood the motivations behind Joel's dad & brothers' actions. I understand that they had lost face in their community, but why? Why did the town care that the only human left? If he really was beneath them, in their eyes, wouldn't they be glad that he left and they no longer had to face the truth that a shifters DNA isn't always dominant?. There didn't seem to be any worry about Joel outing shifters to the humans, so I just didn't get it...
I never quite understood the motivations behind Joel's dad & brothers' actions. I understand that they had lost face in their community, but why? Why did the town care that the only human left? If he really was beneath them, in their eyes, wouldn't they be glad that he left and they no longer had to face the truth that a shifters DNA isn't always dominant?. There didn't seem to be any worry about Joel outing shifters to the humans, so I just didn't get it...
March 20, 2019
A copy of Protector Dragon was given to me by Liv Rider for an honest review.
Ah, how to start... I think this book can be split into two parts: courtship and drama.
This may not sound like the best combination, and I'm in fact not sure if drama even fits the bill, but I'll try to explain myself.
You see, I loved the first half of the book:
- Joel is human, hard working, earnest, loyal, and "a bit" traumatised by his past. But he's working on it, so everything is fine. He might act rash at first, and jump to comprehensible conclusions, but he thinks things through, AND he tries to sort things out!!! (and real talk - can we please!!! appriciate an MC that DOES NOT IMMEDIATLY AVOID A PROBLEM OR "A MIGHT BE MISUNDERSTANDING FOR THE REST OF THE BOOK" BUT INSTEAD TALKS TO THE OTHER PERSON?!?!? You know, like a rational being? yeah, big kudos from me!)
- Thomas is a dragon, and a Keeper of the Peace of one of the districts of Lewiston. (The dragon has a mind of his own btw, and is actually my favorite character in the whole book. I can relate sooo much!) Thomas is like the perfect being *ever*. He's patient, understanding, veeerryy patient with certain council members, helpful, patient... Well, okay, I admit it. He might be too perfect. But argh, who cares? I'm pretty sure he hates pickung up his socks or whatever, we all need and want a partner like him! I love him! He's relatable, nice, funny. A bit of an workaholic maybe, but he's even working on that, so there's that^^
Joel and Thomas together make sense! They fit! They belong together! And if their courtship had been the "main focus" of this story, I would have been happy, 5stars+, yeay. However, the second part of the book made me SO ANGRY! Not at Joel and Thomas, I'm pretty sure (and most thankful for) that Liv Rider avoids internal angst as well as drama if it's not needed! It's never drawn out, characters behave like working adults do, and it's refreshing to read every single time, and I love that! It's written in the blurb, so it's not a spoiler, but Joel's family drove me nuts. Like REALLY?!? WHY??? Can I pretty please kill them? ^^""" I'm not even joking, this part of the book made me so angry I was ready to scream. And I get it! It was necessary to show a side you don't normaly get to see in a shifter's story. It was necessary for Joel, because in the end it helped him grow. But I was in cloud seven after the first part! I was not prepared for me getting so emotionally involved that I thought about taking a bite off of my kindle! And that anger kind of stuck with me throughout the rest of the book. Don't worry, there's a HEA, but I wanted more? The epilogue is really helping, and important for closure, but I kind of wanted Joel to adress his own growth again.
In the end, I really liked this book. It was a "typicall" shifter story, but it was also not. It was a slow burn courtship, followed by a critical look into what it means to be a human or a shifter. I liked both aspects, but at the same time, I would have enjoyed it more if the book had been seperated into two parts. This is entirely my impression, and it doesn't mean that the story flow was interrupted or something like that! "Protector Dragon" tells a full story arc, and there's nothing wrong with it! I'm just a greedy reader who would have loved a maybe a longer second part of the story, and that could have worked i.e. by creating a Part I and Part II.
All in all - a satisfying read! 4 Dragon Stars from me!
PS: I'm pretty sure there are two lovely dragons that also need to find their true mates *hint hint*
Ah, how to start... I think this book can be split into two parts: courtship and drama.
This may not sound like the best combination, and I'm in fact not sure if drama even fits the bill, but I'll try to explain myself.
You see, I loved the first half of the book:
- Joel is human, hard working, earnest, loyal, and "a bit" traumatised by his past. But he's working on it, so everything is fine. He might act rash at first, and jump to comprehensible conclusions, but he thinks things through, AND he tries to sort things out!!! (and real talk - can we please!!! appriciate an MC that DOES NOT IMMEDIATLY AVOID A PROBLEM OR "A MIGHT BE MISUNDERSTANDING FOR THE REST OF THE BOOK" BUT INSTEAD TALKS TO THE OTHER PERSON?!?!? You know, like a rational being? yeah, big kudos from me!)
- Thomas is a dragon, and a Keeper of the Peace of one of the districts of Lewiston. (The dragon has a mind of his own btw, and is actually my favorite character in the whole book. I can relate sooo much!) Thomas is like the perfect being *ever*. He's patient, understanding, veeerryy patient with certain council members, helpful, patient... Well, okay, I admit it. He might be too perfect. But argh, who cares? I'm pretty sure he hates pickung up his socks or whatever, we all need and want a partner like him! I love him! He's relatable, nice, funny. A bit of an workaholic maybe, but he's even working on that, so there's that^^
Joel and Thomas together make sense! They fit! They belong together! And if their courtship had been the "main focus" of this story, I would have been happy, 5stars+, yeay. However, the second part of the book made me SO ANGRY! Not at Joel and Thomas, I'm pretty sure (and most thankful for) that Liv Rider avoids internal angst as well as drama if it's not needed! It's never drawn out, characters behave like working adults do, and it's refreshing to read every single time, and I love that! It's written in the blurb, so it's not a spoiler, but Joel's family drove me nuts. Like REALLY?!? WHY??? Can I pretty please kill them? ^^""" I'm not even joking, this part of the book made me so angry I was ready to scream. And I get it! It was necessary to show a side you don't normaly get to see in a shifter's story. It was necessary for Joel, because in the end it helped him grow. But I was in cloud seven after the first part! I was not prepared for me getting so emotionally involved that I thought about taking a bite off of my kindle! And that anger kind of stuck with me throughout the rest of the book. Don't worry, there's a HEA, but I wanted more? The epilogue is really helping, and important for closure, but I kind of wanted Joel to adress his own growth again.
In the end, I really liked this book. It was a "typicall" shifter story, but it was also not. It was a slow burn courtship, followed by a critical look into what it means to be a human or a shifter. I liked both aspects, but at the same time, I would have enjoyed it more if the book had been seperated into two parts. This is entirely my impression, and it doesn't mean that the story flow was interrupted or something like that! "Protector Dragon" tells a full story arc, and there's nothing wrong with it! I'm just a greedy reader who would have loved a maybe a longer second part of the story, and that could have worked i.e. by creating a Part I and Part II.
All in all - a satisfying read! 4 Dragon Stars from me!
PS: I'm pretty sure there are two lovely dragons that also need to find their true mates *hint hint*
March 23, 2019
No community is completely equal
This was a really enjoyable paranormal romance that managed to do a few little twists on the norm but also have a really strong and enjoyable couple at its core.
Joel is a human born to shifters and not a moment went by in his childhood that he was allowed to forget that. Shifters is this world can be pretty racist and Joel grew up in a shifter-only town where being the only human was almost disgusting to every other member of town. Joel spent years hearing how useless and worthless he was before he got old enough to run away and make a new adult life for himself. While Joel has been able to build a life and build up his own personal self esteem in his time away from shifters, he still believes that every shifter feels the way his town did growing up. As such Joel does everything he can to avoid them and keep living his happy normal life he has built for himself. When his work brings him to a shifter only event (unbeknownst to his employers) Joel is forced to be back amongst people he is sure hate him. Joel is confused and surprised when the local dragon shifter shows an interest in him. From there everything begins to change.
Thomas is a young Keeper of the Peace, a dragon shifter, and someone looking to make some changes. He wants to make his community inclusive and open, with better support for all shifters within it. When Thomas meets Joel and finds out he has a human mate he is not disgusted but elated. All of his first thoughts are simply on finding his mate, but realizing the man is human also helps with previous romantic concerns from being a dragon. Thomas is open and excited to have met his mate, then devastated when he learns how his mate feels about shifters and why. Thomas loves his town because it is more inclusive of humans than shifter only towns and he wants to keep moving his community towards peace and inclusivity. Showing Joel that shifters can be different becomes important to him, but also important to the shifter community at large.
This was an enjoyable book that did well in making a good connection between the two leads, but even with the mate bond didn't jump to insta-love. Thomas feels an instant devotion to Joel and wants to be together, but he also wants a two sided relationship and so waits for Joel to feel the same. Joel feels an instant attraction and lust for Thomas but his hesitancy about shifters as well as his human nature makes him a little slower to jump and allows the romance to build. They have to hear each other out to see what They want in life and how their lives would work together. At the same time it becomes clear early on that their bedroom life will have no problem.
I really loved how the whole dragon shifter thing could be used in the context of old school fairy tales. Joel is strong and resilient but not as physically strong as shifters, so he need help on that front. Thomas being a dragon has no problems with his strength amongst shifters and is willing to use it if need be for his mate. Having it be that the 'damsel in distress' needs rescuing by the dragon was a funny little punchline that even Joel acknowledged. It was a good twist that showed that this book wasn't afraid to have a little fun even during a serious time. Very enjoyable read!
This was a really enjoyable paranormal romance that managed to do a few little twists on the norm but also have a really strong and enjoyable couple at its core.
Joel is a human born to shifters and not a moment went by in his childhood that he was allowed to forget that. Shifters is this world can be pretty racist and Joel grew up in a shifter-only town where being the only human was almost disgusting to every other member of town. Joel spent years hearing how useless and worthless he was before he got old enough to run away and make a new adult life for himself. While Joel has been able to build a life and build up his own personal self esteem in his time away from shifters, he still believes that every shifter feels the way his town did growing up. As such Joel does everything he can to avoid them and keep living his happy normal life he has built for himself. When his work brings him to a shifter only event (unbeknownst to his employers) Joel is forced to be back amongst people he is sure hate him. Joel is confused and surprised when the local dragon shifter shows an interest in him. From there everything begins to change.
Thomas is a young Keeper of the Peace, a dragon shifter, and someone looking to make some changes. He wants to make his community inclusive and open, with better support for all shifters within it. When Thomas meets Joel and finds out he has a human mate he is not disgusted but elated. All of his first thoughts are simply on finding his mate, but realizing the man is human also helps with previous romantic concerns from being a dragon. Thomas is open and excited to have met his mate, then devastated when he learns how his mate feels about shifters and why. Thomas loves his town because it is more inclusive of humans than shifter only towns and he wants to keep moving his community towards peace and inclusivity. Showing Joel that shifters can be different becomes important to him, but also important to the shifter community at large.
This was an enjoyable book that did well in making a good connection between the two leads, but even with the mate bond didn't jump to insta-love. Thomas feels an instant devotion to Joel and wants to be together, but he also wants a two sided relationship and so waits for Joel to feel the same. Joel feels an instant attraction and lust for Thomas but his hesitancy about shifters as well as his human nature makes him a little slower to jump and allows the romance to build. They have to hear each other out to see what They want in life and how their lives would work together. At the same time it becomes clear early on that their bedroom life will have no problem.
I really loved how the whole dragon shifter thing could be used in the context of old school fairy tales. Joel is strong and resilient but not as physically strong as shifters, so he need help on that front. Thomas being a dragon has no problems with his strength amongst shifters and is willing to use it if need be for his mate. Having it be that the 'damsel in distress' needs rescuing by the dragon was a funny little punchline that even Joel acknowledged. It was a good twist that showed that this book wasn't afraid to have a little fun even during a serious time. Very enjoyable read!
December 14, 2024
Sweet with a dash of spice
This was a quick, easy read. There wasn't a lot of heaviness to the story for me and was a sweet little fated mates romance. It's written in 3rd person, which threw me off a little bit because sometimes I forgot who's POV the chapter was in. Thomas is a dragon shifter but seems a bit dense, which felt usual to me. When I think dragons, I assume they're very intelligent. Thomas was an idiot but he sometimes his reactions almost seemed like they were from different planets and not just shifter and a human. I liked joel. He felt marginally more relatable, and he had some witty moments that I enjoyed. They were cute together.
I was a little confused by the plot. It just felt a little forced when the main conflict came into the mix. To me, it seemed exaggerated or partially unrealistic in a way. I'm not sure I'm wording it right. Regardless, it was a bit odd for me.
Overall, I did like the book. The spice was low but present which fit Thomas and Joel's story just fine. It was an interesting world and some of the side characters were fun. I do believe I will be checking out the next book.
This was a quick, easy read. There wasn't a lot of heaviness to the story for me and was a sweet little fated mates romance. It's written in 3rd person, which threw me off a little bit because sometimes I forgot who's POV the chapter was in. Thomas is a dragon shifter but seems a bit dense, which felt usual to me. When I think dragons, I assume they're very intelligent. Thomas was an idiot but he sometimes his reactions almost seemed like they were from different planets and not just shifter and a human. I liked joel. He felt marginally more relatable, and he had some witty moments that I enjoyed. They were cute together.
I was a little confused by the plot. It just felt a little forced when the main conflict came into the mix. To me, it seemed exaggerated or partially unrealistic in a way. I'm not sure I'm wording it right. Regardless, it was a bit odd for me.
Overall, I did like the book. The spice was low but present which fit Thomas and Joel's story just fine. It was an interesting world and some of the side characters were fun. I do believe I will be checking out the next book.
March 21, 2019
🐲He's in Lewiston to escape shifter prejudice; how can he fall for one?😯
March 20, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
👍💕🔥🐲
A good plot, 💙romance and 🔥heat, with Joel, a human reject from his all-shifter hometown who's escaped second-class treatment and made a new life in Lewiston, a city where shifters live incognito beside the human residents.
Just enough adversity and suspense added to their blooming romance to make Joel and dragon shifter Thomas's story exciting. It's well-written and maintains focus on the heroes and their relationship throughout; no sideways meandering that would detract from their story.
The belittling and bullying Joel faces for being different, a nonshifter in a world of shifters, is easily comparable to real life societal prejudices against those who are different in sexual preference, religion, race, etc. It was great to see Joel's confidence and self esteem grow once he has Thomas on his side.😊
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
March 20, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
👍💕🔥🐲
A good plot, 💙romance and 🔥heat, with Joel, a human reject from his all-shifter hometown who's escaped second-class treatment and made a new life in Lewiston, a city where shifters live incognito beside the human residents.
Just enough adversity and suspense added to their blooming romance to make Joel and dragon shifter Thomas's story exciting. It's well-written and maintains focus on the heroes and their relationship throughout; no sideways meandering that would detract from their story.
The belittling and bullying Joel faces for being different, a nonshifter in a world of shifters, is easily comparable to real life societal prejudices against those who are different in sexual preference, religion, race, etc. It was great to see Joel's confidence and self esteem grow once he has Thomas on his side.😊
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
November 29, 2022
Very nice read
This was a good story. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment.
**Possible Spoiler**
There has been one thing on my mind. What happened to Joel’s phone? It was in his hand when he reached his apartment building that night after his shift, because he was contemplating how to reply to Thomas’ message when he pulled his keys out to open the door. Later, it wasn’t mentioned again in the ride in the van nor when he was wondering if Thomas would reach him (written to try to avoid spoils). It wasn’t mentioned when Thomas arrived and nothing was said about it being given back. The next time his phone is mentioned is months later when Douglas calls with an update.
I’d like to add I didn’t like that the mom had a sort of redemption arc because she was all the way wrong. That was her child she gave birth to yet she allowed this crap to go on and contributed to it. Playing dumb at the end was garbage. Not once did she go down or send proper food… but she thought it was made comfortable for him??? Whatever.
This was a good story. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment.
**Possible Spoiler**
There has been one thing on my mind. What happened to Joel’s phone? It was in his hand when he reached his apartment building that night after his shift, because he was contemplating how to reply to Thomas’ message when he pulled his keys out to open the door. Later, it wasn’t mentioned again in the ride in the van nor when he was wondering if Thomas would reach him (written to try to avoid spoils). It wasn’t mentioned when Thomas arrived and nothing was said about it being given back. The next time his phone is mentioned is months later when Douglas calls with an update.
I’d like to add I didn’t like that the mom had a sort of redemption arc because she was all the way wrong. That was her child she gave birth to yet she allowed this crap to go on and contributed to it. Playing dumb at the end was garbage. Not once did she go down or send proper food… but she thought it was made comfortable for him??? Whatever.
November 14, 2019
Loved it!
Protector Dragon is the first book in the Lewiston Dragons series by Liv Rider. I loved getting to read Joel and Thomas's story. I loved that Joel took it upon himself to leave his family and his community to find another place to live that wouldn't consider him a second class citizen because he happened to take after his human father and not his wolf shifter mother. He's even bullied by his younger half brothers and his stepfather. So he leaves, and moves to Lewiston, where shifters live amongst humans in their human form. He is completely blindsided when he finds out that he's the dates mate to a dragon shifter named Thomas, who is the keeper of his district, which includes the town of Lewiston. Joel is a perfect compliment to Thomas and I loved their chemistry. I can't wait to read the next book in the series! I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
Protector Dragon is the first book in the Lewiston Dragons series by Liv Rider. I loved getting to read Joel and Thomas's story. I loved that Joel took it upon himself to leave his family and his community to find another place to live that wouldn't consider him a second class citizen because he happened to take after his human father and not his wolf shifter mother. He's even bullied by his younger half brothers and his stepfather. So he leaves, and moves to Lewiston, where shifters live amongst humans in their human form. He is completely blindsided when he finds out that he's the dates mate to a dragon shifter named Thomas, who is the keeper of his district, which includes the town of Lewiston. Joel is a perfect compliment to Thomas and I loved their chemistry. I can't wait to read the next book in the series! I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
December 2, 2020
I read Halloween Dragon first and I actually thought this one was better, albeit only marginally. While the writing is more consistent through this one, it is still somewhat choppy and awkward flowing. Thomas and Joel are more likable characters but there is too much page-space taken up by Joel’s headspace and it becomes rather repetative and annoying. The whole interlude with Joel’s family was quite predictable and provided little to no angst. I really think Thomas’ dragon should have been given free reign to liven things up a bit.
What I also found interesting, was that there were a few contradictory parts to the storyline in Halloween dragon, particularly those involving Joel and the farm project. Although I felt this could have been better written, I still enjoyed it and I always appreciate an author who can write a paranormal (especially dragon shifters) M/M romance that does not involve mpreg in any way, shape or form!
What I also found interesting, was that there were a few contradictory parts to the storyline in Halloween dragon, particularly those involving Joel and the farm project. Although I felt this could have been better written, I still enjoyed it and I always appreciate an author who can write a paranormal (especially dragon shifters) M/M romance that does not involve mpreg in any way, shape or form!
January 12, 2023
This was... sort of meh, tbh. Not horrible by any means, but I'm left with the impression that the author is very young, very inexperienced in actual relationships, or very new to writing... or most likely some combination of those three traits. I skipped all the sex scenes with a minimal amount of skimming to make sure I didn't miss any emotional development (I did not), but the odd, cumbersome, slinky banter she wrote between Thomas and Joel mad Ethan some of the least sexy sex scenes I've ever read... and the rest of the time, just made their relationship feel, well, like I said above, as if it was written by someone without a lot of experience with them. Also, the conflict with Joel's family? That was just bizarre and felt super contrived and sort of one-dimensional villain-esque. 🙄
But despite all that I didn't hate it and am definitely hungry enough for m/m shifter romance that I'm going to give the next book in the series a try now 😊🤷♀️🤣
But despite all that I didn't hate it and am definitely hungry enough for m/m shifter romance that I'm going to give the next book in the series a try now 😊🤷♀️🤣
March 25, 2019
I loved this paranormal shifter m/m romance it’s a fantastic story. Joel is an outcast being the only human in a town full of shifters is not easy and having a family that puts you down all the time is horrible so Joel runs away to Lewiston where humans and shifters live side by side. Joel gets a job in a coffee shop and that’s where he meets Thomas. Thomas is a dragon shifter he’s a keeper of the peace he settles arguments between the shifters, when Thomas meets Joel he knows straight away that they are fated mates but Joel will barely give him 5 minutes of his time to Thomas. So will Thomas be able to get through to Joel?, but will Joel be able to trust Thomas with his heart?. I loved this story and I highly recommend this book it’s definitely well worth the read.
June 4, 2022
This is another book I enjoyed reading. The author chose to deal with racism in the shifter community. Joel grew up as the only human in a shifter town. His own family mistreated him. So when he was old enough, he ran away. After his treatment at the hands of shifters, Joel does everything in his power to avoid them. Thomas is a dragon shifter and has little of hope of finding a mate because of his work. The he meets Joel at a work function and discovers that they are fated mates. Of course Joel does not feel the same way because humans and shifters are not compatible. But Thomas is persistent. Just when Joel is coming around, his family intervenes. This will test their bond to the limit.
June 14, 2022
Dragons!
Is it just me or does the cover make them appear old? They aren't if you're wondering. I think they're 23 and 26 although Thomas acts much older so it was a bit hard to reconcile.
The author did a really good job of helping readers empathize with Joel's struggles. From the first chapter I felt a connection to him and also knew what a great person he is. Few people would face such a visceral fear as Joel had about his family finding him to help their boss. I didn't feel as much of a connection to Thomas but still liked him.
Other than that, it's your basic shifters type book where most humans don't know about them. I'd like to see more, I'm not sure if only this series is from that "world" or not.
Is it just me or does the cover make them appear old? They aren't if you're wondering. I think they're 23 and 26 although Thomas acts much older so it was a bit hard to reconcile.
The author did a really good job of helping readers empathize with Joel's struggles. From the first chapter I felt a connection to him and also knew what a great person he is. Few people would face such a visceral fear as Joel had about his family finding him to help their boss. I didn't feel as much of a connection to Thomas but still liked him.
Other than that, it's your basic shifters type book where most humans don't know about them. I'd like to see more, I'm not sure if only this series is from that "world" or not.
April 14, 2024
A great first book in the series
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and I loved the aspect of a keeper of the peace, falling in love with a regular human, rather than a shifter. Joel had been mistreated and neglected by his mother and stepfather and stepbrothers to the point where he ran away and five years later, he meets his fated mate Thomas, who is a dragon shifter. I loved how Thomas felt for Joel and the way he was treated while growing up. It was great that he ended up having a happy ending with his mate and enjoy the time with his friends who are also keepers of the peace and dragon shifters. The next story in the series looks really interesting and I can’t wait to read it..
I am voluntarily leaving my review for this book and this is my honest and fair opinion.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and I loved the aspect of a keeper of the peace, falling in love with a regular human, rather than a shifter. Joel had been mistreated and neglected by his mother and stepfather and stepbrothers to the point where he ran away and five years later, he meets his fated mate Thomas, who is a dragon shifter. I loved how Thomas felt for Joel and the way he was treated while growing up. It was great that he ended up having a happy ending with his mate and enjoy the time with his friends who are also keepers of the peace and dragon shifters. The next story in the series looks really interesting and I can’t wait to read it..
I am voluntarily leaving my review for this book and this is my honest and fair opinion.
February 11, 2021
Keeper, Yes thats what Joel needs!
Joel has been living his life for the last 4 years staying as far away from shifters as possible. One catering gig and bam his life is in turmoil. Shifters every where including Thomas.
Thomas is a Keeper of the Peace aka Dragon who is called in when shifter counsel's need help keeping everyone safe and happy. Thomas takes things very personal, he is involved and cares about his district.
The struggle thes MC'S go threw trying to make a relationship is varied and difficult to overcome. But love and pure stubbornness wins out. Great book!
Joel has been living his life for the last 4 years staying as far away from shifters as possible. One catering gig and bam his life is in turmoil. Shifters every where including Thomas.
Thomas is a Keeper of the Peace aka Dragon who is called in when shifter counsel's need help keeping everyone safe and happy. Thomas takes things very personal, he is involved and cares about his district.
The struggle thes MC'S go threw trying to make a relationship is varied and difficult to overcome. But love and pure stubbornness wins out. Great book!
November 7, 2021
Dragons and their fated mates. What could be better than that? Welllllll, I downloaded this book about a year ago with KU, read two chapters over a course of a couple months. And returned it. Decided to give it a second chance; maybe I was burned out with dragons and mates.
I did get through it. It was a slog. The story didn't grab me right away. And not even 50% in. There was a moment when she had me. But no.
It's well crafted. A good bit of world building. There are no grammatical issues I can wail at. Just not the author for me, I guess.
I did get through it. It was a slog. The story didn't grab me right away. And not even 50% in. There was a moment when she had me. But no.
It's well crafted. A good bit of world building. There are no grammatical issues I can wail at. Just not the author for me, I guess.
April 23, 2022
This is my first read by this author, but it will not be my last. The book is on the short side, but it doesn't feel rushed in any way.
The characters are likeable and interesting, the romance is well built and the characters actually take their time to get to know one another, which can be absent from other "destined soulmates" stories I've read.
There is just enough action to keep things interesting and bring the MCs closer together.
I would highly recommend this book to fans of romance and urban fantasy. I'm off to find more books by this author!
The characters are likeable and interesting, the romance is well built and the characters actually take their time to get to know one another, which can be absent from other "destined soulmates" stories I've read.
There is just enough action to keep things interesting and bring the MCs closer together.
I would highly recommend this book to fans of romance and urban fantasy. I'm off to find more books by this author!
May 21, 2022
A dragon, his human mate, and abusive family... can love conquer all?
What great start to a new series! New to me. This series has been out for a while & all three books are available. I intend to read then all. This book introduces us to the recurring characters, the shifter government structure, antiquated ideas, a stubborn human., his protective dragon mate, and abusive family. Oh, and a kidnapping. Ooh, did I mention sex, lots of sex. I fell in love with Thomas and Joel. You will too. HEA is assured. You are gonna love this book!
What great start to a new series! New to me. This series has been out for a while & all three books are available. I intend to read then all. This book introduces us to the recurring characters, the shifter government structure, antiquated ideas, a stubborn human., his protective dragon mate, and abusive family. Oh, and a kidnapping. Ooh, did I mention sex, lots of sex. I fell in love with Thomas and Joel. You will too. HEA is assured. You are gonna love this book!
January 23, 2021
An interesting take on the shifter genre. It was nice to get a story from the point of view of a hybrid who can't shift. Joel is fully aware of the shifter community, but when he meets his true mate he thinks that can't happen to him since he's "human." The only problem I had was that the major tension in the book is dealt with too easily. This is more of a 3.5 star review than a three, but those are the options.
I will be reading the rest of series. I have to know what happens with these two other dragon shifters. I'm most interested in the fussy one! ;-)
I will be reading the rest of series. I have to know what happens with these two other dragon shifters. I'm most interested in the fussy one! ;-)
March 26, 2019
Enjoyable Mostly
The story and romance were interesting in this slightly different shifter world. Not sure I understood the family’s position towards Joel - that was just weird! And the shifter society organized around Councils and Keepers was not described in much detail. The story does end on a positive note.
The story and romance were interesting in this slightly different shifter world. Not sure I understood the family’s position towards Joel - that was just weird! And the shifter society organized around Councils and Keepers was not described in much detail. The story does end on a positive note.
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