WHEN DEALING WITH DRAGONS

Teenage rivals fall in love while trying to save an endangered species of dragon.

Dragon rider James Murphy has had a crush on dragon veterinarian-in-training Farren Walsh since they were 12. But James is a silver-crafter and Farren is a copper-crafter, and their strictly hierarchical society makes relationships between people of different classes nearly impossible. Not to mention that they’re rivals for a prestigious scholarship to Revers Academy. Farren and James each have their own secret reasons for needing this funding, which come to light when James is hired as the new intern at the Walsh family’s dragon sanctuary. Forced to live and work together, the two uncover hidden knowledge that could change their society forever—and sparks fly. With its themes of found family, animal rights, parental abuse, and class divisions, there’s never a dull moment in this novel, which reads like How To Train Your Dragon meets a high school enemies-to-lovers romance. The charming relationship between Farren and James, who share the narrative duties, propels the story, and the short chapters offer humorous moments as the 17-year-olds bumble through their first romance. The romantic elements are supported by an engaging plot and fascinating world. The subplots are well balanced and add to the worldbuilding without feeling overly complicated, and the plot elements and characters’ motivations are fully developed and converge in a surprisingly twisty and action-packed finale. Main characters are cued white.

A sweet, exciting, and well-executed romantasy.