The fiery breath of a dragon pales in comparison to the incendiary heat of this epic erotic fantasy.
A princess and a trained assassin are ordered to kill a powerful dragon.
Thousands of years ago, the humans of the Sheltered Lands made a pact with the gods for protection. In exchange, once a century, whatever mortal king is on the throne must send his oldest child to be bound as consort to Ash, the king of the gods. Ash can take the shape of a man, but his dragon form strikes terror and enmity into the hearts of most humans. The mortal king longs to be free of the pact for his own evil reasons. He has trained his daughter, Sachielle, to become both consort and killer. Sachi will be accompanied by Zanya, a trained assassin who is also her secret lover. The king tells the two women to kill Ash; if they fail, a powerful curse will kill Sachi and consume her soul. Once Sachi and Zanya arrive at the Dragon’s Keep, they realize that Ash is extraordinarily well protected by his private guard. He might be impossible to kill, and even more troubling, they realize they don’t want to even try. Ash is intelligent and incisive, hardly the monster of myth and legend. His years of experience make it easy for him to guess at Sachi and Zanya’s true purpose, but he’s fascinated rather than angry. Eventually the three become lovers, and the intrigue of court politics takes a backseat to the steamy, sexy world they create for themselves. Zanya and Ash are powerhouse characters, completely overshadowing Sachi. Her bland, generic goodness is dull compared to them, yet the plot requires readers to believe that Zanya and Ash would do anything to save her.
The fiery breath of a dragon pales in comparison to the incendiary heat of this epic erotic fantasy.Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781662513183
Page Count: 398
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A charming love story that absolutely radiates warmth.
A single mom winds up fake dating an incredibly wealthy man in her hometown.
Dolly Brick is back in her hometown of Whitfield, Rhode Island, for the summer to help her dad and disabled brother manage their house and family business. As a 39-year-old single mother with multiple jobs—which now include working at the Brick Fish House—Dolly is always busy. When her mom left their family years ago, Dolly took over caring for her siblings and father and never really stopped. When she runs into Stewart Whitfield after making a shrimp delivery to his family’s mansion, she doesn’t think they could be more different. She’s had to figure out how to do everything by herself, and he can’t even change a tire. That’s why Stewart’s proposal that she pretend to be his girlfriend feels so unbelievable—but it comes with a hefty check that she desperately needs for home repairs. So she becomes the fake girlfriend of Stewart Whitfield (as in, the Whitfields her town is named after; his real fiancée just dumped him and it’s a bad time for him to be single) and experiences what it’s like to walk into fancy buildings through the front door instead of the service entrance. More than the boats and helicopter and expensive dinners, though, Dolly is impressed by what a kind man Stewart is—and how it feels to let someone else take care of her for a change. Soon, their relationship starts to feel more real than fake. Monaghan creates an impossibly winning story with a charming, lovable heroine. Dolly is capable, hardworking, and will do anything for the people she loves. She and Stewart both possess real flaws, and while their relationship begins with one of the most beloved rom-com tropes, their challenges feel like realistic adult obstacles rather than easily solved miscommunications. It’s also refreshing that, even though Dolly must learn to allow other people to help her, she never views her caretaking responsibilities as burdens. She deeply loves her family, and that love carries through the entire story.
A charming love story that absolutely radiates warmth.Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9780593853979
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
A deliciously dramatic look at how one woman’s past influences her future.
A happily engaged woman is pulled back to her hometown—and her first love—when tragedy strikes.
Billie Wright is living her dream, running a thriving fertility clinic in New York City and engaged to a wonderful trauma surgeon named Dean. Her happily-ever-after meant giving up her life in Wisconsin, where she left behind many friends as well as her high school sweetheart, Mick. Although they’d been deeply in love, when Billie’s ambition pulled her away from home and toward the city, Mick couldn’t handle either the distance or her busy schedule. Billie has finally moved on from that heartbreak—but then she receives a phone call from Mick, the first communication between them in years. Her best friend, Erin, died in a car accident, leaving behind an 11-year-old daughter, Phoebe. Now Billie must return home to help sort Erin’s affairs and provide some kind of comfort to Phoebe while grieving the loss of her best friend. Of course, being back home also means being in close contact with Mick. Their feelings for each other may not have ever gone away, and their proximity leads to big decisions for Billie. Can she ever reconcile her current life in Manhattan with her past in Wisconsin? And which one will be her future? Giffin knows how to do drama, and she ratchets up the stakes with every page as she continues to reveal new obstacles for Billie. The ending wraps up quite neatly, but the nostalgia-filled ride is full of twists and turns that will keep readers flipping the pages.
A deliciously dramatic look at how one woman’s past influences her future.Pub Date: July 7, 2026
ISBN: 9780593600320
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
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