Miss Gissele Chapman’s dragon-slaying magic is growing weak.
Her life has always been chaotic, what with managing her secret slaying duties with her obligations as the daughter of a wealthy gentleman—hosting teas, attending balls, entertaining callers. But now, on top of everything, her magic is waning, and no one seems to know why.
No one, that is, except a frightfully mouthy, abominable dragon. She should simply kill him. After all, that it is what a slayer does with dragons. But this dragon knows things. He describes her weaknesses perfectly, and he claims he’s seen it before. He says it’s simply what happens to slayers. Eventually, their magic unravels and they descend into madness and eventual death.
The dragon is obviously lying.
He’s her enemy. He’s a wretched, red-scaled winged beast who can’t say a solitary sentence without insulting her.
Of course, there is the fact that he knows about her awful urges, which have risen as her magic has declined. The most obscene and salacious cravings grip her, and she is helpless against them.
But when he tells her the only way to save herself is to give in to those cravings and couple with him, well, then she’s positive he’s lying.
He’s enormous . A monster with teeth and claws. It wouldn’t even work.
Would it?
This gaslamp fantasy romance features one very proper young lady doing a vast array of shocking things with a dragon, many of which involve the removal of her clothing. Some readers may find objectionable that the matter of consent is made murky by magical means, but they are to be assured that while some dubiousness is present, there is a certitude that these characters will find their way to an HEA as equals who respect each other.
Val Saintcrowe writes new adult epic fantasy with a heavy romantic component. She enjoys high stakes, creating intricate new worlds, court intrigue, ice cream scoops full of angst, and exploring what happens when evil men fall in love.
Her name is a variant on her urban fantasy alter ego, Val St. Crowe. She also writes mysteries and thrillers under V. J. Chambers, romance under Jove Chambers, and Jane Austen fan fiction under Valerie Lennox.
She lives just outside Shepherdstown, WV with her son
This book was unhinged. But also had amazing spots of beauty. I sobbed at one point. But, seriously unhinged.
I don't know what to tell you guys. This books was crazy. Like completely... I don't even know how to review it.
I read the second half while a friend was around and she told me to stop telling her more about the plot cause it was so wild but I couldn't help but keep telling her things and laugh maniacally... and then she looked up to see I had burst into tears and was sobbing over these two. It was a roller coaster but so absolutely UNHINGED.
Here are some bizarre things about it... but be warned this list includes a lot of spoilers:
I've read a couple of other GR reviews of this book, and found myself surprised. I went into this expecting to be both underwhelmed at the story and quality and taken aback by how unhinged it is. But no. This book, I am truly shocked to say, may be my favorite monster romance yet.
I loved this book. I loved the concept. I LOVED, I mean ADORED, the characters. I loved the romance. I laughed often. I was touched. Just about everything about it worked for me, and I really didn't think that would happen. I didn't think I would find every side character endearing by the end. That the book would be working toward a strange sort of interspecies polycule.
Don't get me wrong, there are some major content warnings to make for this romance. For one, the author plays real fast and loose with non-consent and dubious consent. The characters themselves, for example, reflect more than once on the fuck-or-die rape scenarios they end up enacting. For another thing, there is also a lot of sexually gendered slurs bandied about towards the FMC by the MMC. This gets addressed by the end of the book, though not necessarily to every reader's satisfaction, and either way, you have to put up with their heavy appearance through the first half of the book.
Still. I loved this. I'm going to buy a physical copy, and I can already tell this will be a comfort read for me. I just had a really great time, y'all. I really did.
Absolutely wild from start to finish - it was a very interesting settling hindered by wooden dialogue without much to break it up. There is also a heavy amount of non-con (discussed) and dub-con (on page, several scenes). A unicorn saying "fuck you" and a handmaid summoning trolls to attack a gentleman's club aren't even the wildest parts of this read.
I had a harder time with this enemies to lovers book, likely because I don’t like when women are called derogatory names. The plot was well thought out and it’s good to see ace representation in side characters along with a gay couple. This author likes to play with the readers’ perception of what counts as happily ever after, but it works well. Real life is never simple and so the solutions to problems are never simple.
Gissele, the female lead, is a lady who wanted more from her life than what ladies are typically allowed so she forced her way into dragon slaying. She’s been very successful until recently when the “skills” the Council gave her seem to be wearing off…
Rholan, the male dragon lead, is truly a dragon; no humanoid form here. Gissele captured and chained him but he truly wants her. When she’s told that she has a demon in her that wants dragon seed, she’s furious and disbelieving, but that would explain the strange feelings she’s been having…
This story is female lead POV, well written, and an interesting tale of breaking barriers around socially acceptable romance, with a monster/human sexual relationship, a male/male secondary sexual relationship, and a human/unicorn asexual relationship. It covers the intricacies of establishing relationships in the light of past interactions and unhappiness and how new relationships, both individual and group, might be brokered. I enjoyed the cleverness of the premise and the primary and secondary character and relationship development, especially in light of the overlap and entwinement, but acknowledge that this story won’t be for everyone because of the sexual mores and values being examined in detail with an open door.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and this is my voluntary honest review.
I really liked the beginning of this book. She is a dragon slayer and chained the dragon in a cave so she could talk to him and try to figure out a different way besides killing dragons.
They yell at each other and insult each other. But she unknowingly is possessed by a dragon succubus demon and she needs dragon semen "fireseed", or she goes insane and dies. The dragon helps her and calls her his prize and there is all kinds of dirty talk.
But the cravings are getting worse. She needs serious help.
That is when the book gets too complicated for me.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER , , , , , , , , So her former childhood playmate/current enemy Brandon originally gave her the succubus to get revenge for childhood insults. He says he can get it out. He did this because he was upset she was friends with D, their other playmate. He was jealous.
Brandon and D became gay lovers. But being gay is forbidden. So D marries the heroine. Brandon marries Lavinia, who wants to remain a virgin because she is in love with a unicorn and she has to stay a virgin. So two fake marriages, so everyone can be with their real lover.
Brandon cuts off his arm to get the demon out of the heroine. She is saved.
She eventually has a kid with D, using insemination. Lavinia eventually has a baby with Brandon using insemination. They all live happily ever after.
It just got too complicated. I wanted to read a dragon human romance not this weird relationship mess.
A Gaslight Paranormal Monster Romance. Is a stand-alone. Single POV. Follows a dragon hunter who is possessed by a demon and her most recent dragon captive.
This was an insane book. There is sex, name calling kinks, demon possession, kidnapping, killing, semi-rape, and more. The book was wild, and I enjoyed most of it. I did not like the name calling and the semi-rape.
Gissele has some assassination-sized secrets. As the person assigned to kill dragons by the Council of Gentlemen, she unknowingly houses a succubus that helps attract dragons to her. Gissele, however, has captured one dragon, Rholan, who she has chained up in a cave. Over time, she learned of Rholan’s sentience, love of reading, and ability to converse. Basically, he’s proven the humans’ knowledge and understanding of dragons is all wrong. And in doing so, might she be developing feelings for this monster?
So this is truly a monster romance: dragons only, no shifters. You have a strong FMC in Gissele who divides her time between dragon slayer and lady. With few who know her secret, it’s hard for her to function in society while keeping this (quite unladylike) secret, considering all the sneaking around she must do.
Expect lots of spicy scenes, complicated relationships, and soul-searching. Many of these characters are reconciling their innermost thoughts and feelings with a rigid society who isn’t very accepting. This is a really good story with so much depth!
Special thanks to the author for the ARC. All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.
Giselle (h) is a young gentlewoman who at the discretion of the Council of Gentlemen has been unknowingly made a host to a dragon succubus so that she can slay dragons. She has imprisoned Rholan (H), a dragon, in order to obtain information from him. The longer that the succubus dwells inside her and the more that she's around Rholan, Giselle finds herself battling feelings that have her craving his seed. There a lot of complex social and sexual relationships that impact Giselle, Rholan, and the secondary characters within their dynamic. The characters and world building are well done and interesting. For my tastes there was too much into the magic/fantasy side of things, which just isn't my personal cup of tea.
This book got me out of a reading slump. A demon slayer with a succubus demon falls in love with a dragon. Meanwhile, her best friend falls in love with her enemy and her enemy marries a woman who is in love with a unicorn.
Fast-paced, entertaining, spicy, and honest. I love the way the characters think through their situations and try to explain what they’re feeling because it feels so…real?
A star off because the former demon slayer goes from not wanting motherhood to become her world to letting exactly that happen. Twins from her gay husband and a baby dragon from her creature lover (his from another tryst). Suddenly, she doesn’t need “more” after being a badass dragon hunter for years. Boo boo tomatoes tomatoes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I didn’t love this one as much as the first book Hoobeats. I wish Giselle didn’t try to have it all… felt like it cheapened hers and Rholan’s romance. Who cares what society thinks when you have a dragon lover! The ending seemed rather complicated but they all seemed happy and it did tie everyone’s relationship in, all six of them. Also I wasn’t a huge fan of Rholan’s nicknames for Giselle … I feel it didn’t land correctly for the feel of this romance. It rather killed the mood and I usually don’t mind a little degradation. All in all though very steamy compared to Hoofbeats. It also had some rather funny romantic encounters that had me rofl 🤣🤣🤣
The main character rolls with the punches life throws at her and life has thrown some knock outs, lol.
After learning Dragons are more than the vicious, mindless creatures they are made to be, Giselle must decide to continue being the "slayer" or rescue Rholan, the most recent Dragon captive, who could ultimately be her savior as well.
The world building, societal structure, and character relationships are interesting and intricate. It does include a lot of swearing, sex and intimate scenes, so just a fair warning this won't be for everyone.
**I received a free advanced review copy of this book and I'm voluntarily leaving a review**
I enjoyed this book. Great world building. I liked that it wasn't a modern setting and featured a woman who was a dragon slayer- not for the slaying part, but that's she's a fighter and not stuck in typical "women's work" roles for the era. I loved the different romantic relationships in this book for the secondary characters. And I really enjoyed that this is a true monster romance. This isn't a romance between a woman and a dragon shifter, but a woman and an actual dragon. I loved the characters. They were well developed. The story was intriguing and captivating. A unique and fun read. I recommend checking this one out. 5 stars.
What a fun but strange book. There were moments that left me feeling disturbed(dub-con and a vague preachiness on motherhood) and delighted (poly-am approach to family, interesting lore, realistic emotional motives). I found it quite refreshing to have the main romantic interest to have such a non-typical personality and worked well with a non-human love interest. I would get a bit confused trying to work out where everything was, when we were and how time passed. I avoiding specifics because I think experiencing the book firsthand is the best way to enjoy it
This was a very hot steamy story that mixed monsters, Victorian era life, and a few other myths together to give a wild read. It was a wild and fun read with fun characters I liked and hated they were so well done. Not what you would expect from a monster story but it was fun to read. It stars Gissele as a young gentlewoman of wealth who is a dragon hunter and what happens when she learns the real truth about what is going on and then deals with the consequences. A different take on dragon hunting.
I love dragon romance and trying to find a dragon romance thats not dragon SHIFTER is very difficult, I was super excited when I first found this book! It is pure erotica so I wont be to critical of it as it’s not supposed to be this grand Shakespeare sort of master piece, but the plot was kind of all over the place and I didn’t truly care for it, there was a lot of good humor though and I looooved the back and forth between Gisele and Rholan, I found their relationship to be really cute. It has its flaws but overall I had a lot of fun with the book!!
I adored this story. I came into expecting mostly some fun, mindless monster smut. I was pleasantly surprised to find a good plot, some interesting worldbuilding, and one of my favorite mmc’s to date.
I mean, the “he falls first” trope where the he in question is a full on dragon? (That’s right, no shifters here, folks!) Yes please!
It lost a star because our characters are too forgiving and also because the last chapter dragged. Other than that, I highly recommend.
Giselle has demon succubus inside her, aiding her in killing dragons. Rholan is a dragon who has been captured by Giselle. These two make an unlikely pair - in fact, they start off as the bitterest of enemies. This story was quite unlike anything I’ve read before, making it all the more memorable. There’s a lot to unpack here - dragons, hoards, unicorns, women’s rights and place in Victorian society - making for a engrossing and involved story.
I must admit that I pictured Rholan differently. Reading his discrimination reminded me of a winged Chinese dragon. I pictured a smaller version of Draco from Dragonheart. It was a very different story. I was pulled in from the beginning. I have to admit I still don’t care for Brandon, but to each their own, I’m happy for Darcy. If you like monster romance and a plot to keep you going. I recommend this.
Gissele has been gifted with special powers so that she can protect her people from the vicious dragons. There is a problem these vicious dumb beasts aren't as dumb as she was told. And don't forget these powers she has been given is killing her.
Look I’ll be honest, I started this book because I was horny and I have kinks that I thought this book would cover and it did. What I didn’t expect was to like the writing so much despite hating the fmc almost throughout the whole thing. Despite hating her, I understood her and where her thinking came from and that’s a testament to the author.
Long story short she has this demon in her that needs the seed of a dragon…
Let’s just say I maybe should have read what the book was going to be about. I was looking for a dragon book to help me with my book hangover after onyx storm… let’s just say this was an interesting read
Gisele is a gentlewoman in a mans world, a draon slayer with skills but when it comes to her latest Dragon capture, Rholan things start to change. She craves what she's not meant to want, where will this leave her? Well written an engaging paranormal, read, dragon/slayer.
This was my first monster romance. And it wasn't bad at all. It was funny and captivating. Rholan is a sweetheart with a bad mouth 😅 and Giselle is a strong willed woman. And it's quite spicy too 🌶️🌶️🌶️
This was an interesting premise. I liked how things developed, and they all fell into a sort of complicated family. And of course, men are stupid was a running (and accurate) theme.
The idea is great, but I couldn't get past the part where every previous lady dragon slayer was raped to death by the "good guys" and how the dragons were being systematically murdered.
Not for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Love the way this story approaches dragon to human bonds. Just enough traditional views of dragons as monsters vs intelligent emotional beings with a twist most dragon love stories miss. And it is definitely a love story.
I really really wanted to love this book. And the person who told me about it mentioned that the dragon calls her love. They did not mention that he calls her whore and slut. That really put me off, along with a lot of other elements that just weren’t for me.