To Enchant a Dragon

Venys Needs Men

by Amanda Milo

THE MERMAID AND THE DRAGON

Our coastline is craggy stone cliffs in the distance, warm beach sand when we want to sunbathe, and the most vivid turquoise water you’ve ever laid your eyes upon.

Welcome to Titan’s Tears Cove, near the Titan volcano, and centered equidistant from the closest dragon-danger zones of Flame Pass and Ember Pass.
But they aren’t too close. Unlike the Gulf of Mermaids colony on the other side of Venys, our tribe is made up of only my sisters, and we are so quietly tucked away that we aren’t often hunted by anything here.
At least, that was the case until a lone dragon got too curious. And hungry.

Little do I know that I’m about to be snatched up for a dragon’s lunch. Another thing I’m clueless about? One touch of the wrong female to the wrong place on a dragon can strike a matebond for life.

Even if a bonding should be impossible. After all, how can a creature that soars through the sky—a dragon, for the high seas’ sake!—be forever-mated to a mermaid?

Note: This is a 22K Standalone Short Story for readers 18+. **No wereopossums or trolls were harmed in the making of this book. However, there are some slightly disturbing events for a couple of unlucky mermen. Tragic, certainly, but you know how it is: Dragons get possessive of their lady.

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

94 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 4, 2020

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is absolutely ridiculous! I laughed. A lot. It’s not deep. Reminds me of Patricia C Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles, but adult. Fun ridiculousness!

The cover does not match the story! What you’re getting here is not serious danger. You are getting a romp and comedy!

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an odd book. I don’t even know how to rate this. It’s Amanda Milo so it had all her cuteness and quirky anatomical detail but it kinda didn’t have a plot. It was a little off putting that the dragon hero first saw mermaids as food and still continued to eat mermen. Other than that it was just sex between a dragon and a mermaid and a little bit of world building. The epilogue was just more story and not really an epilogue in the future. Not terrible for an afternoon read but I’m still kind of shaking my head thinking ‘what the fuck even was this?’.

[RLbooks (in and out) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great palette cleanser for me that had me laughing and smiling throughout. Kalos (H) is a dragon who thinks about trying to eat a mermaid and instead mates one, Adella (h). How they adjust to the mating bond and their differences was at times challenging, sweet, steamy, hilarious, and fun. Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama (though both get j/p of each other), h is not a virgin but H might have been, it was a bit unclear for me.

While Kalos immediately feels protective of Adella and wants to please her, she doesn’t feel anything related to the bond so it’s his actions and words (also, yeah other parts of him) that win her over. I enjoyed when each one met the other’s family, esp with how Adella’s sisters reacted to Kalos and then what him living near them meant (ie. dragons eat A LOT) 😂.

It’s a HFN ending but light and sweet and I knew they’d be together forever. Not sure if the other books in the series have this tone but I’m going to check them out!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, these dragons amuse me. This time around, it's Kalos (Halki's brother) who scoops up a mermaid and ends up bonded to her. Frankly, given the anatomical differences between a dragon (even when in human form) and a mermaid, things look like they're going to be a little rough for our couple.

BUT...but...they aren't. Sure, there's a learning curve and Adella has to come to realize having a fierce, loving dragon at her side isn't the tragedy she first thought it was, but they end up with the best of both worlds. Kalos gets to don his wings and Adella gets her tail when needed and they both get to enjoy each other in their human forms.

YESSSS.

I gotta say, I do like these dragons. They're so ridiculously proud of their castings (SO proud) and they're willing to do anything they need to do to keep their bonded safe and happy. Given that the men Kalos captures for his mermaid sisters-in-law don't seem to be complaining about their new predicament, everyone's winning this time around. *thumbs up*

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

chefs kiss perfect palate cleanser ✨

what happens if a dragon and a mermaid shack up? this absolute banger of binge read. I’m just a girl and I’m here for the rainbow-hair-mermaid vibes 💖

[Kristy Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was about a dragon and a mermaid. I’ve always wanted to write a book about a mermaid and dragon falling in love. But I’m not a writer, so it was really fun to be able to read it!

This was cute and sweet. There really isn’t much of a conflict, other than them learning to live with each other. A dragon and a mermaid come from pretty different backgrounds. But they fell in together pretty easily, the kinks worked themselves out with little effort on the characters parts. It was a cute short read.

[78sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Das Buch habe ich mir gekauft, weil ich zwei andere Reihe der Autorin so gut finde. An die hat dieses Buch allerdings nicht herangereicht. Nicht ansatzweise.
Es geht hier um Adella, eine Meerjungfrau, die von einem Drache (Kalos) entführt wird. Eigentlich wollte er sie fressen, denn das ist was Drachen normalerweise mit mit Meerjungfrauen und eigentlich allem, was keine Drachen sind, machen, aber er hat einen großen Fehler begangen und dabei aus Versehen eine Bindung ausgelöst. Nun muss er damit leben und hat sich fürs Leben an eine Meerjungfrau gebunden. Ich muss sagen, dass schon da klar war, dass das Buch kein Highlight für mich werden konnte. Allein diese ich fresse alles und mache mir absolut gar keinen Kopf drum, war nicht mein Ding und dann kam einfach auch keine wirkliche Chemie zwischen den Charakteren für mich auf. Es war jetzt nicht so, dass ich Seiten geskipped habe, aber es hat mich auch nicht gefesselt und ich habe überhaupt nicht mitgefühlt, was ich sonst so bei der Autorin hatte. Adella leidet am Anfang auch noch etwas und das gefiel mir ebenfalls nicht. Ab etwa der Hälfte des Buches wurde es dann alles etwas entspannter und lockerer und der Humor nahm deutlich zu. Der gefiel mir sehr. Er hatte sehr viel Ähnlichkeit mit G. A. Aiken/Shelly Laurenston, falls jemandem das was sagt. Etwas derber Humor, aber mir gefiel es. Vor allem die Dialoge waren witzig, aber auch ganz viele Szenen die so bildlich beschrieben wurden, dass ich mich wirklich vor lachen kugeln konnte. Vor allem wie Kalos die Überreste seines Essens hervorwürgte (so ähnlich wie Eulen Gewölle auswürgen) und das für ihn dann ein Schatz ist, denn er aufhebt und stolz rumzeigt. Die Reaktion von anderen Charakteren daraus war ebenfalls köstlich. Also der Humor hat es dann echt nochmal rumgerissen für mich und die erotischen Szenen waren gut, wenn auch nicht herausragend. Alles in allem war es halt Mittelmaß und ich hatte mir bei der Autorin etwas mehr versprochen.

Story 3,0/5
Erotik 3,4/5
Humor 4,0/5
Charaktere 3,4/5
Schreibstil 3,6/5
Gesamt 3,4/5

[Umaiya ❄️Ramblings of a Scattered Mind❄️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well now, I don't think I've read a Mermaid fantasy before!! Oooo this was nice and short and sweet and totally what I expect arranged marriages where both the man and woman are virgins to be like. xD Don't ask me why, it was all just so awkardly cute ^__^

[Romance All the Way · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an adorable and hot love story.

[Beatriz Ortiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un dragón + una sirena :0 :0

Esta historia desde el principio me sorprendió porque lo que quería comerse un dragón término siendo lo que deseaba comerse a cada rato jajaja.

Una historia peculiar pero deliciosamente adictiva, me gusta el estilo de la autora me mantiene pegada a la lectura.

Y obviamente su buena dosis de spicy y romance.

Lo recomiendo para amantes del género sin duda lo disfrutarán muchísimo.

[Lisa]

Eww castings again, not my favs.

Kalos, the Crested Merlin dragon was fun to read.

[Brutally Honest · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, this is hard. I love Amanda Milo's stories. But I just couldn't get over the dragon eating mermen. AFTER mating with one. And after finding out they're endangered. Hm. :/ I also found this has a show start for some reason.

[Renia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,8 stars.

[Crissyjostarrlite Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like this author’s work, but I just could not get engaged in this one

[Limecello · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit ridiculous and campy and ... honestly I think that's the point - so just go with it.

It's sexy but kinda so much over the top I was read/skimming it.
[His ... O_o penis fronds?]

Also ... :X are more of them named Kalos?
Damn my broken brain and unreliable memory.

Anyway. Kalos and Adella are ... they fit each other.
I liked that it wasn't automatic -especially for her. And she [low key] fights their bond - but not really. ... but it's because Kalos is SO DEVOTED. I mean as soon as they're bonded he's all in.
He already felt she was pretty before she even touched him, so there was that.

[Interesting with the transformations - it wasn't really explained, but I like that they can change back and forth.]

AND HIS FAMILY. SO CUTE.
And her family - and LOL Kalos's "offerings" to his sisters.
The were-opposum. [HAH]

Seriously - so many ridiculous hijinks.

And the "castings" - gross but also interesting, and cute that she's like "this is so gross but I'm so smitten I like it." And his "hair ball"

I was chuckling while I read it, and have already moved on to the next book.

Just a lot of cute and fun and lighthearted fast read.

We all need something like that sometimes.

Solid C.

[Sarandah chrysalis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bonkers! But fun, sweet, hot and... funny.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

CAUTION: Features a cinnamon-roll dragon, who is so completely smitten with his mermaid mate, that it’s bound to make you swoon.

This is the second book that I’ve read in the multi-author collaborative series Venys Needs Men , and despite existing in the same shared universe, the two books felt distinct from one another. Yes, this can in part be explained by the authors’ different writing styles, but the change in geography—Milo’s To Enchant a Dragon is set in Titan’s Tears, Venys; whilst To Tame A Dragon by Tiffany Roberts is set southeast of there, in Shimmering Peaks, Venys—means that the authors can explore different cultures, creatures, etc.


I do have a few questions pertaining to the shared universe (they might have been answered in a book in the series that I haven’t yet read):

➸ Is Venys located on Earth? I could be way off, but I’ve inferred that this is set far into the future, and human civilizations have fallen and reverted back into the Stone Age.

• E.g. #1: “I watched those cities die, crumble, and be swallowed by the sands over the long years.” Elliya’s brows furrowed. “What are cities?” “You do not know?” he asked. When she shook her head, he released a thoughtful grunt and said, “They were places where humans lived. Your ancestors, many generations ago. They constructed dozens of tall buildings out of stone and wood, creating settlements where hundreds or thousands of them lived and worked. Some of those buildings were taller than I was in my natural form.”(To Tame a Dragon, Kindle pg. 125 of 214)

• E.g. #2: “I saw you in your natural form, dragon. I do not believe that humans could ever have slain something such as you.” Falthyris uttered a short, bitter laugh. “Your people had a great many weapons beyond sticks and stones in those times, human.” (To Tame a Dragon, Kindle pg. 121 of 214)

➸ Do these books take place at the same time? In To Tame a Dragon, the human FMC’s tribe was raised believing the ocean—they know it as “The Endless Blue”—to be death, the opposite of Cerolea, the sacred pool in her village thought to be life. This (among other context clues) gives me the impression that she didn’t know that boats/ships existed. It was the MMC who told her about them, but when he did, he referred to humans sailing the seas in the past tense. But in To Enchant a Dragon, the mermaid FMC talks about luring sailors and sinking ships in the present tense.

Title: To Enchant a Dragon (Venys Needs Men) by Amanda Milo
POV(s): Dual—First Person
Interconnected Series: Yes
Standalone: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
HEA: Yes
Relationship: M/F
Genre(s): Paranormal, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Triggers: N/A
Tags/Tropes:
❖ Dragon-Hero
❖ Hero-Falls-First (Instantly)
❖ Hero-Kidnaps-Heroine
❖ Hero-Smitten-with-Heroine
❖ Matebond
❖ Mermaid-Heroine
❖ Possessive-Protective-Hero
❖ Wholesome/Cinnamon-Roll-Hero

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love conquers all, especially when you are forced to walk in the other person’s footsteps… Well, in similar legs at least.

THE BLURB

Adella and her sisters are mermaids. Their tribe is made up of only sisters. Their home is Titan’s Tears Cove. It is safe, tucked away from vicious predators. They can enjoy themselves basking in the sunlight, happy. Little did they expect a shadow to swoop down and steal Abella away.

Kalos the dragon is away from home. He’s about to experience the blood moon; a month of anguish for an unmated male. One last quick snack before he heads home… and he’s heard that mermaids are quite delicious.

TONE OF THE BOOK

To Enchant A Dragon is quite a lighthearted novel. There is a focus on fun, adventure and humour is littered throughout.

SENSITIVE TOPICS

No wereopossums or trolls were harmed in the making of this book. However, there are some slightly disturbing events for a couple of unlucky mermen. Tragic, certainly, but you know how it is: Dragons get possessive of their lady.

There are a few scenes of murder and kidnapping, but they are portrayed as a fun adventure that harms no one… well except for a couple of mermen.

SERIES SYNOPSIS

To Enchant A Dragon is from the multi-author series Venys Needs Men. Other authors to contribute to the series are Naomi Lucas, Tiffany Roberts, and Poppy Rhys. You can see all the books contributed on the series Goodreads page. Amanda Milo has contributed two novellas to the Venys Needs Men series; To Enchant A Dragon and To Desire A Dragon.

Each novel is a standalone focusing on a different couple, so the series can be read in any order. Furthermore, all novels and their romantic stories end with a happily ever after.

It is a novella, and as such is much shorter than your average romance novel. Its 22,000 words, or 94 pages (an average romance novel is 300 pages).

REVIEW

As mentioned in the Series Synopsis section, Amanda Milo has contributed two novellas to the Venys Needs Men series; To Enchant A Dragon and To Desire A Dragon. Whilst To Desire A Dragon is longer, I enjoyed the shorter To Enchant A Dragon; it had an eloquent portrayal of a complex world, but seen through the simplicity of a novella.

The characters were both interesting; they took their sudden life changes in stride and sought compromises between each other. There isn’t any particular character growth that stands out however, and I would have loved to have read of at least one character overcoming some inner personality obstacle.

FINAL WORD

To Enchant A Dragon has a unique take on shapeshifter romances. Instead of the common plot use of a human female and a shapeshifting male meeting, To Enchant A Dragon focuses on a relationship of two mythical beings; a mermaid and dragon. Despite their differences, we are reminded that love conquers all.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS AND AUTHORS

If you enjoyed To Enchant A Dragon, then definitely read some of the other books in the Venys Needs Men series. Remember that Amanda Milo has published one other book in the series, To Desire A Dragon. Other authors to contribute to the series are Naomi Lucas, Tiffany Roberts, and Poppy Rhys.

If you are a fan of dragon-shifter stories, Ruby Dixon has also written the Fireblood Dragons series. A fun adventure set in a post apocalyptic world that’s been taken over by mad dragons. Only when the dragons meet their soul mates, a human woman, that their madness clears. The first book in this series is Fire In His Blood.

Erin Tate (also writing as Celia Kyle) has also written The Dragons of Preor series. The first book is Jarek (read our review). Shape-shifting dragons have landed on Earth, seeking women as mates. However not everyone are happy at the new alliance between Earth and Preor…

[Serena Buffaloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want one of these Dragons !!!

Ha !!!
I laughed through this book , often out loud as these characters are Funny !!!
Kalos , the younger brother of Halki from the previous Venys Needs Men book , Desire a Dragon, finds himself wanting some seafood. As he is flying over Titans Cove, he spots a few mermaids sunning themselves. He swoops down , but forgets the cardinal rule : toast your food BEFORE handling !!

He didn't.

And now she has wiggled around and touched him !!!!

For Wyverns Sake !!!

Adella was minding her own business , sunning herself on her rock with her sisters nearby, when a great shadow flies overhead .

"Dragon" !!! 🐉🐉

All those pretty colors and sparkly - ness is WAY too much for a Dragon to resist !!!
So , he doesn't !

In this story the " Red Moon " , and it's effects, serve as the background for these two to get Much better acquainted . All over the cave , and the water and the beach and under the sun and under the moonlight ......
But how will these two lovebirds be able to live together ???
Her from the sea , and him from the air ???
If you like some laughter along with your romance,then these books are for you !!
Can't wait for the next installment from these, VENYS Needs MEN series !!!

[Genneva Volkonskaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

To Enchant a Dragon, la historia inicial de la saga de dragones de Amanda Milo, es un romance paranormal extremadamente corto y de ritmo acelerado. Si bien cumple su función como una lectura rápida, humorística y explícita, peca de una falta crítica de desarrollo en sus personajes y su trama.
​El principal punto débil reside en el ritmo superficial. La unión instantánea (instalove) entre la protagonista sirena y su dragón, provocada por un dispositivo de trama algo forzado (el "bond accidental"), no da espacio para una química creíble. La ingenua chica y el tono excesivamente over-the-top (exagerado) de la autora sacrifican la profundidad emocional y el worldbuilding del universo Venys en favor de la gratificación instantánea. Es una lectura entretenida para los fans del género "spicy" y el humor absurdo, pero insuficiente para quien busque una construcción romántica sólida o una trama con verdadera tensión.

En resumidas cuentas, el libro no es malo si lo que estás buscando es un Spicy corto y sin dar tantas vueltas, pero si estas buscando una historia muy desarrollada no es muy buen libro.

[Mullen Natalie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't know how anyone thought this garbage should be printed as a book. Only 78 pages and there is nothing that a real reader wants to read. I was swearing if that guy, one more time, repeats she is his mate and he will have no other I would rip that book apart. I can tell you what this is like:
He grabs her out of the ocean, she is a meermaid, he takes her with , finds a place with salt water for she think she needs it. He shifts into human form, she shifts into human form, they have sex. He and her visit her sisters and he flies off and comes back with all sort of guys, Org what ever, for her sisters have no male . That is it. Just like that. Not one word if those men wanted that , said anything, nothing. He just grabs them somewhere and drops them off at the ocean and the females there grab them. WTH?! The conversation is terrible, the world build doesn`t exist, that is not something for adults with a brain. Sorry. This is a 5 star MINUS.

[Shyla Colt · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a serious reading slump, this story ended my dry spell. This read like a quirky mythical rom com. Dragon see's Mermaid, tries to eat her and ends up mating with her instead. I had to read it!

The last thing Adella expects to happen while hanging out in her cove with her sisters is a dragon abduction. Plucked from the waters by talons, she's taken away from everything and everyone she knows. Kalos only wanted to find out if the rumors were true and merpeople were delicious. Instead, he's bound forever to a water life form he doesn't know how to care for. Their path forward is anything but smooth as they deal with the effects of the bond, her need for salt water, and the unexpected new transformations they both undergo.

[Racheal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid 3 star read for me. It was nice getting to step back into the world of Venys, where women are in desperate need of men. Much like the other books that I read in this series, Kalos (the dragon) did turn into a human man at the touch of his mate. But what was very different and clever about this story was that our FMC Adella was a mermaid who also turned into a human!

Well I enjoyed the humor and endless spice (legit, they had a marathon!), this story just felt a little underdeveloped at points. Had there been more description and had the author slowed the pace a little when action hit, this easily could have been a 4-5 star read. It just needed a little more love poured into it. That said, I still enjoyed certain aspects about this book.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was cute

I liked the book. A quick read. A bit funny but honestly I liked Nalles and Halkis a little more only because in this mermaid tale the author gives us definitions of things she thinks we might not understand... instead of letting us figure it out by context clues and the actions of the characters. Such as explaining to us what a casting is instead of letting us watch it unfold like she does in Nalle's story. Nalles first experience watching her dragon deal with a casting was priceless. It was roflmao funny.
This mermaid tale is Still very good though.

[eevee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adella is a mermaid who’s minding her business when a dragon shows up to eat her and her sisters. Adella moves too slowly, and Kalos has her in his claws. She accidentally squirms too much, touching him, and activates a mate bond.

Short and kinda cute. Both the dragon and the mermaid like shiny things. Sex scenes were okay. Kind of expected Kalos to be a more dominant partner, but he’s not. He’s very sweet and sensitive.

On mermaid mating stories, I prefer Kitty Thomas’ Awakening over this, so I won’t keep this one on my shelf.

[Nisha-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A fish and a bird may fall in love, but where would they live?” I read that as a teenager and found it so devastating. Now as an adult, I realise that’s some miscegenation bullshit.

Welp, this answers the question in such a fun hawt and beautiful way. These two are a lovely couple, their histories informing their characterisation exactly as it should. No darkness here at all, rather so much playful humour. And their hilarious families.

Dragons have never been this adorable. And mermaids this real.

A delight.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it way more than I expected🤭

I’ve had a pretty good streak the Amanda’s book with maybe the exception of one…but that’s on me! She totally warned me it was going to be her normal humor one like a germaphobic aliens you know who I mean lol😝! Anyway speaking of her humor, it definitely shows up here and it maybe short…it’s definitely worth a read. I know they’re a few more in the series and I’ll definitely give them a go and if she hasn’t already…Amanda I think anyone who’s enjoyed this is thinking the same, the sisters need a book too (even just a novella)🥰

[Momo Monchichi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thanks for wasting my time. Pretty boring story. No interaction makes sense and bad writing in general. No world building, nothing that is in anyway believable or intriguing that would make you want to read the story. Don't know how anyone thought this garbage should be printed as a book... some people seem to like it though which I find unbelievable but sex sells I guess. I've read bad stories before but this tops them all. This is the worst book I've ever read. This is going straight into the fireplace.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first few chapters of this book had me seriously worried I was not going to enjoy it. However, once your past the initial meetup of the love interests, the spice is amazing and honestly, the book is quite funny. The relationship between Adella and Kalos could make anyone jealous. I highly recommend giving this book a chance, brace through the first couple of chapters, and get to the good middle as it’s worth the read. I actually laughed out loud when Kalos promised to bring the mermaids more men and drops off an ogre who is even more confused than them

[Another hopeless romantic (temp hiatus)]

DNF.

Only four chapters left so...im just gonna mark it as "read"😅


No rating bc i didn't finish so its not fair. that said, this had a great start and an even greater concept —hello, mermaid x dragon?🤤

After a couple chapters it fell off for me tbh. I didn't really feel the connection/chemistry between the Mcs and although I love a good Captive Romance, something about the vibe I got from this just didn't work for me 🫤

Anyway, I'll give book two a chance bc that concept seems interesting too and I really love the other books in this series by Tiffany Roberts and Niaomi Lucas