I never thought I’d have to kill a billionaire playboy...
But here’s the thing: he’s a dragon shifter. At least, that’s the rumor. And dragons are dangerous—they burned my old town and thousands of people in it.
I never wanted to become a hunter, but if I don’t deal with him, he could destroy this town...
Did I mention I’m also his bodyguard?
It’s a simple task: get close enough to the enemy and kill him.
Thing is, nothing’s ever really simple with a dragon shifter, especially one as gorgeous and sexy as Chris.
I want to kill him so badly, but that’s not the only temptation...
Author's Note: This is a stand alone series book with an HEA. Characters and events may overlap within the series though. Intended for mature audiences who love steamy romances!
DRAGON ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS- Twenty years ago, a dragon shifter clan in Petrichor went rogue and set fire to the entire town, resulting in the deaths of thousands. In the wake of this infernal tragedy, the trajectory of the lives of the survivors—and some folk from neighboring towns—has been drastically altered, with humans and magical beings alike struggling to navigate their futures in the shadow of the ever-dreaded dragons, and some are unlucky enough to bump into them...
Scarlett Stone was born in Washington State and grew up in Florida. At the age of ten, she and her family moved back to Washington, where she grew up surrounded by the gorgeous scenery of the Pacific Northwest. She finished her first novel when she was seventeen, and has been writing ever since. Her hobbies include spending time with her fiancé and her horses, reading, enjoying Seattle’s quirky culture, and of course, writing. Connect with her on Twitter today!
Die Autorin ist mir bereits durch eine ihrer anderen Reihen bekannt und als ich sah, dass sie eine neue Serie nach einem altbekannten Muster beginnt, war ich neugierig. In der anderen Reihe hatte ich das Potential gesehen, dass die Autorin dazu in der Lage ist, ihre Geschichten etwas besser umzusetzen.
An dieser Stelle kann ich klar und deutlich sagen, dass ihr das mit der Geschichte von Ava und Chris in gewissem Maße auch gelungen ist. Ich habe die Geschichte sehr gern und auch schnell gelesen. Allerdings bleiben danach immer noch Fragen offen. Fragen, an dessen Antwort sich die Autorin nicht einmal in entferntesten herantastet. Dabei frage ich mich dann jedes Mal aufs Neue, ob das beabsichtigt ist oder sie selbst die Antwort darauf nicht kennt.
Ava ist eine junge Frau, die seit ihrem fünften Lebensjahr schnell erwachsen werden musste, da ihre Eltern bei einem Feuer ums Leben gekommen sind. Sie weiß auch, dass das Feuer nicht auf natürliche Art und Weise entstanden ist, sondern einen „magischen“ Ursprung hat. Deswegen hasst sie eine bestimmte Gestaltwandler-Gruppe besonders: Drachen. Trotz ihres Hasses hat sie sich niemals von einem sogenannten „Jäger“ instrumentalisieren lassen und ist menschlich geblieben. Statt herumzujammern ist sie als Sicherheitsfachkraft für ein Unternehmen tätig. Und nun soll sie einen der reichsten Männer der Stadt beschützen? Doch was, wenn der Jäger recht hat und Chris ein Drache ist? Kann sie ihn wirklich töten?
Chris ist ein wohlhabender Mann, der in einem riesigen Anwesen lebt und den typischen reichen Playboy heraushängen lässt, um – wie soll es anders sein – von seiner wahren Natur abzulenken. Er war zwar noch zu klein, um für das verantwortlich zu sein, was vor 20 Jahren in Petrichor passiert, aber dennoch schämt er sich für seine gesamte Art. Zudem nimmt er mögliche Bedrohungen nicht ernst und ist überrascht, als sein Butler und Freund ihm einen Bodyguard aufs Auge drückt. Doch wird er diesen Bodyguard überleben?
Die Anziehungskraft zwischen Ava und Chris ist von Anfang an spürbar. Es gibt schon einige nette Szenen, aber so richtig Szenen, wo man denkt, das ist eine tiefgründige Bindung zwischen den beiden, erfolgt leider nicht. Dafür fehlt mir hier eindeutig die emotionale Tiefe – und zwar auf beiden Seiten. Weder bei Ava noch bei Chris kommt etwas herüber, worauf man schließen könnte, ja, die sind füreinander bestimmt. In dem Bereich ist die Geschichte wieder etwas mau. Leider.
An sich ist die Erzählung aber schon viel flüssiger. Und ich persönlich finde, dass sich der Erzählstil der Autorin durchaus gesteigert hat. Auch wenn da noch viel Potential nach oben ist. Die Geschichten und Figuren müssen nur noch etwas tiefgründiger werden und nicht so zweidimensional lieblos abgehandelt werden. Wie z.B. immer mit den Andeutungen, dass Parker sie in seiner Gruppe haben wollte wegen ihrer Fähigkeiten. Aber was sind das für Fähigkeiten? Das wird nicht erläutert. Es gibt da noch so einige andere Aspekte, wie die verschwundenen Drachen von vor 20 Jahren, die nur erwähnt, aber nicht aufgearbeitet werden. Das ist sehr schade. In der Geschichte steckt so viel Potential daraus etwas wirklich genial Gutes zu zaubern, dass es mich schon wieder traurig stimmt, zu sehen, wie dieses Potential ungenutzt bleibt.
Eine spannende Geschichte mit einer Prise Erotik, die sich ideal eignet für einen gemütlichen Sonntagnachmittag daheim.
Ava was 6 years old when she sneaked down stairs to watch cartoons. Then the lights went out.Her dad and mom rushed to her when they heard her scream. The whole house started to come down around them. Her carries her and rushes to the basement. When they get there Ava notices her mom isn't with them. Her dad runs back upstairs closing the door. Days later she's found by firefighters. But her parents aren't there. Twenty years later, she works for Aegis Security as a bodyguard. She's trying to find her client. After searching in the club he went to with her she tries to track him down. Then she meets an elf who tells her she sees a dragon in her future. Then with red flares in her mind, she calls Parker who has been trying to get her to work with him. Memories are being dredged up. Now she's back at the Petrichor Survivors building which houses a group dedicated to wiping out all monsters---dragon, elf, vampires---but Ava only wants to wipe out the dragons who were the cause of the fire and death of not only her parents but the whole town. She is to get close to a billionaire, Christopher Mason and find out if he is in fact a dragon. It's believed it's his parents who burned down the town. So she goes undercover to discover if he is a dragon. Her job is to take him out. Christopher is a playboy. His butler is at the moment discussing the issue of his life style. He could be in danger of his life. His butler, John, tells him that rumors are abounding about dragons and other creatures are turning up dead. There is a group out there looking to take out all magicals. This upsets Chris and he recalls how his dad sent him and his mother out of town. John tells him if he isn't taking these threats and deaths seriously he will. He's hiring a bodyguard for him. Then he discovers that the woman who wore a Aegis Secuity jacket is his bodyguard...uh oh! He's adamant he doesn't need a bodyguard cause he can take care of himself....until she takes him down. She's so hopes he's a dragon cause she will love the look of shock on his face when she drives a blade into his chest. Chris wants her gone. Will either get what they want? Will she find the information she needs? Will Chris get off his superiority complex? A story that has elements of subtle humor and a lot of conflict. The age old conflict of man vs woman or in this case dragon vs woman.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When a dragon shifter clan in Petrichor went rogue and set the town on fire, thousands of people were killed. Humans and magical beings now struggle in fear of the powerful dragons.
Twenty years have passed since Ava lost her family in the dragon devastation. Now the butler has hired her, for appearance sake, as the bodyguard for a billionaire dragon shifter who regrets what his kind had done. But to protect the town, Ava will have to find a way to kill him. It’s not a job she ever wanted to do, but Parker convinced her that if Chris is not destroyed, the town could once again be burned to the ground and everyone she cares about killed.
Although their initial meeting left neither of them happy with the other, she still respects his obvious intelligence. When he insulted her by assuming she was weak and useless as a bodyguard, she attacked and laid him out on the floor, sitting on top of him. His embarrassment made him dislike her more. Yet both of them could not deny the attraction for the other. Having feelings for Chris would not only betray the town but put Ava in danger as well. Can she do what needs to be done? Or will she have to turn against the hunters who take things into their own hands when they attack him in his home?
The story is exciting, well-written, well-paced. The characters give the reader an immediate idea of their personality and behavior. There are fun parts to the story line along with the danger and intrigue. Grab your copy and be drawn into this amazing story.
DRAGON ENEMY TEMPTED is the first installment in Scarlett Stone's Dragon Enemies-to-Lovers series. The story keeps us turning the pages. You'll find fear, hate, danger, romance, and steamy scenes. The issues of the humans, shifters, witches and supernaturals, in this story can easily be related to today's color, race, religion issues today.
Two decades ago Ava was six when the dragons went insane over werewolves killing one of them. In retaliation, the dragons burned and destroyed the town of Petrichor. When all was over, thousands of human and fae had been killed including Ava's parents.
Ava grew up wanting revenge on the dragons that killed her parents, but the dragons hadn't been seen since that terrible night. Now rumors are floating around that there is a dragon in town. Fortune is on her side as the security company she works for just assigned her as his bodyguard. As soon as she verifies he's really is a dragon, he will be a dead dragon.
Chris was only ten years old when he watched the destruction of his home town of Petrichor. He has never seen his father, nor the other dragons since that night, but he has carried their guilt all these years. With the help of his butler and confident, he has managed to hide his true nature all these years.
This novella seemed rushed in areas, probably because of the short length. I did receive a copy from the author and this is my freely given, honest review.
Ava lost her parents when she was six when dragons burnt down the whole town killing thousands of people. 20 years later she is still trying to put the tragedy behind her. She is a body guard for a security firm in the town she lives in. But when she is assigned to be a bodyguard to a billionaire suspected of being a dragon, she accepts the assignment to kill him from an anti-shifter group.
Christopher is a dragon trying to be a human. His father was one of the dragons that attacked the town of Petrichor that killed so many people. He is ashamed of what he is and is trying to forget by being a playboy and drunk. But when his butler hears of a plot to kill him, he hires a bodyguard for him. Not what he wants!
These two are at each other’s throats from the get go. Ava has to keep the job long enough to figure out if Christopher is a dragon or not. If he is, she is going to kill him. But when the time arrives to take action, she questions her right to take his life. Does that make her as bad as the Dragons’ that killed her parents.
Surprising! Ava experienced great trauma and lost her parents in her early childhood that formed her as an adult. She takes a job with a security company which is hired to guard a bachelor, Chris. Chris, is a secret dragon ashamed of his heritage because his Dad participated in the early distruction. Ava, is committed to seek revenge against the horrors committed against her parents and her village. Reluctantly, Chris and Ava get to know each other more personally, more intimately. What happens when they find out their true natures? Do their personal perceptions about the other, change? Can Ava fulfill her mission? When you look for the 'why' of answers, life is rarely what it seems. Great story about perspectives, experiences and history. Nicely done! I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ava lost everything at the age of six, and it is all due to the Dragons. They destroyed her town & killed her parents. Chris has carried the guilt of what happened in Petrichor since he was ten yrs old. When his father & the other elders destroyed the town. He has done everything he can to supress the dragon inside, too ashamed of his heritage. When Ava is tasked with protecting Chris, she must find out his true identity. However, when she does, will she be able to kill him like she was told to do? The attraction between them is literally FIRE, no pun intended. This is a steamy, sexy, HOT short story about two young people learning to live with their pasts & moving forward to their future. The doors are wide open here folks, enjoy!
Twenty years ago, 6-year-old Ava had snuck out of bed to watch cartoons when the dragons went on the rampage in the town of Petrichor. Ava was locked in the basement and so survived, but her mom and dad perished in the dragon flames. Ten-year-old Chris and his mother were sent to the town of Malves along with others so they would not be in Petrichor for the rampage. Since then, Chris has unconsciously refused to transform into his dragon. This story has action, romance, and steam, ending in a HEA maybe. Very highly recommended.
Dragon Enemy Tempted was completely honest about what it was; a fast-paced enemies to lovers fantasy. You're introduced with traumatic backstory that explains the characters and their development up to this point and presents opportunity for growth and conflict. Both are resolved in a natural pace for the time elapsed without depending on 'fated mates'. The characters own what goes on between them and it's so refreshing! Dragon Enemy Tempted knows what it is and fulfills expectations.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ava (h), is one of the few survivors of the immolation of the town of Petrichor by vengeful dragon shifters. Twenty years later, she’s been hired as a bodyguard for Chris (H), a billionaire playboy who may or may not be a dragon shifter, and if he is, she’s tasked with killing him. At first she finds him just annoying, then attractive, and when she finds out his secret, she can’t bring herself to extinguish him. Ultra-hot and steamy dragon shifter quickie with a bit of emotional angst, some violence, and an interesting human-shifter storyline.
The book I’m reviewing today is titled, Dragon Enemy Tempted which is the first book in the Dragon Enemies-to-Lovers book series written by Scarlett Stone. This story tells about finding love years after a painful tragedy, the history and the plot were well written. The author was telling us all the backstory that we needed to understand what had gone on in the past and why the characters were the way they were.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ava is working for a security business, she struggles with her past and is part of an organization out to get magical beings. Chris is a dragon shifter who hides who he really is from the world. They meet when Ava is hired to protect him from people who are secretly out to get him. What will happen when Ava realizes Chris isn't at all what she was led to believe? Will she take him out like the organization wants? Will there be a HEA?
DRAGON ENEMY TEMPTED is topsy-turvy adventure .. with DRAGONS
Scarlett Stone did a good job in opening this new series. Friend or foe? You can't be sure until all the smoke has cleared! There's an unofficial war on magical beings, but who are they? How do you ID them? Hidden for their own purposes, who and where are the guild members leading the war? Time to turn the page and fine out!
I loved this book. The story was well written and the history provided was needed to understand the story as a whole. And Chris was a great character and he and Ava were perfect together. I loved the ending. I received a free ARC copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review.
Chris Mason's story was not bad just different in how he is portrayed as a dragon. Really don't want to give anything away about the story line so I will not be giving any hints as to what is happening.
Looking forward to the next book in the new series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Someone tried to start a war and the revenge for it caused needless deaths. Ava knew dragons killed her parents and harbored resentment. When the leader of the Guild tries to get her to take a life, she wises up. Instead she starts a relationship with Chris and they plan to take down the murderous Guild.
Dragon Enemy Tempted is book one in the series Dragon Enemies-to-Lovers by author Scarlett Stone. This is a fast paced read that explodes with action. In between all that action are moments of realization of past deeds and future wants. Enjoy!!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
DNF - quit at 27% This sounded promising, but ended up losing my interest in the story. I put this down to do something else & when I came back, couldn’t bring myself to pick it back up.
At my age (62), life is way too short & my time is too important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read.
A suspenseful and exciting and well written story as Ava learns not all dragons are murdering monsters. Not like her own group of killers. I was enchanted by the turn around for each of the characters. Definitely will look up other stories by Scarlett Stone.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
For honest Review. When ava Paige was a small child she lost her family do to dragons so when older she need to make some decisions .I liked how she made up her own mind . Awesome story
A good start to this new series. The story is interesting, the characters are likeable and fit well together. This is a new author for me and I am looking forward to read more. I am looking to see where this series will go.
I thought this story was funny. A very light take on an enemy to romance with some trouble thrown in. An easy and light read that made me laugh. Not dark or a heavy convoluted plot but that was part of the fun. Enjoyed it and thought the characters were a riot.
So good! I couldn’t put it down! I love the storyline! It has some of my favorite tropes: shifters, alpha Billionaire, enemies-to-lovers. Highly recommend ! I definitely want to read more books from this author.
Ava is tasked with guarding a billionaire dragon shifter, the only problem is that she is also tasked with killing him…
This novella was a really fun read and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. My only complaint (which is not really a complaint) was that it was a novella and not a full length novel.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The author has given us a wonderful story that pulls us into the lives of Ava and Chris and does not let go. We are given humans, shifters, witches and supernaturals, what more could you want? The story keeps us turning the pages with fear, danger, action and steam.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.