ARC Review: Tempting the Dragon King by Kiersten Fay

My Review:

Tempting the Dragon King is the first book in the Dragon Lords series and a spin-off of Fay’s Shadow Quest series. King Tristan Okora, a “drop-dead gorgeous hottie with a lick-worthy physique,” is an alien/dragon shifter who rescues June, a human, after she becomes trapped in an alien ship and hurtles across space.

Near starving and desperate, June is relieved to be rescued by Tristan and his kind mother and even more relieved when they promise to return her to Earth. However, the more time Tristan and June spend together, the more they fall for each other. Will June return to Earth, or will Tristan convince her that she’s meant to stay with him?

This romance is steamy!! Tristan is so enamored by June, and he finds her intoxicating to the point where he has trouble keeping his hands off of her. June is equally enamored with Tristan. However, she has no long-term expectations, unlike Tristan.

June, a victim of childhood domestic abuse who has suffered much tragedy and loss in her life, is not as quick to trust and fall in love, but that doesn’t stop her from enjoying what they have. Since she has never really experienced love, she isn’t as quick to admit her feelings. Tristan has been surrounded by love for his entire life and expresses these feelings much easier. He realizes quickly that it’ll take some work and time to convince June that her place is by his side.

What I love about their relationship, besides the piping hot sex, is that they support each other, physically and emotionally, from the start of their relationship. Both Tristan and June feel a tremendous amount of guilt for losses in their family – Tristan over the death of his father, and June over the death of her mother and brother. The shared grief and guilt connect them and draws them closer. They understand each other in a way that others don’t.

The quick and humorous banter throughout the story is also a delight to read. Tristan’s mother is fabulous, as is his best friend. Tristan and June also have some comical conversations especially when her curiosity gets the better of her. I love how Tristan and June bring out the best in each other and those close to them support their blossoming love.

Another aspect of the story I like is the interesting world-building. The story takes place across several planets, each with different beings, cultures, creatures, and communities. Fay’s skill in developing such vivid and immersive worlds is a highlight of the novel, and I hope to learn more about them in the rest of the series.

In addition to the love story, several other conflicts transpire. Tristan is a newly appointed king with rumored dissension on his planet. False accusations relating to his father’s death haunt him, and a potential fiancee (hate her!) waits for his proposal. On top of that, there are conflicts with mysterious witches who live on his planet. These sub-plots become significant as the plot progresses and add a bit of suspense and action to the story.

This is a quick-paced and fun read about two lost souls who make each other whole again. I enjoyed Tristan and June’s love story and look forward to reading more of the series. Plus, the dragon scenes are really cool! Thanks to the author and Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The romance, of course! There is some major chemistry, and the spicy scenes are…well, let’s just say you might need a fan.
• The different planets and aliens. I found the different worlds, customs, and similarities interesting.

Recommendations:

Lovers of sci-fi romance will enjoy this story. Readers who enjoy steamy romances with a HEA will also enjoy Tempting the Dragon King.