Book Review: Ancient Desire by N.J. Walters

About the Book:

Title: Ancient Desire

Author: N.J. Walters

Series: Forgotten Brotherhood

Publication Date: August 15, 2022

Publisher: Entangled

Synopsis: Nothing was supposed to wake half dragon, half human Lucius from his Deep Sleep. Nothing. And yet something, or rather someone has. The unexpectedly attractive human not only touched him. She kissed him. Now Lucius is awake, and more powerful than he has ever been in his 4,000 years of existence. And once he finds out who led her to his cave, he’ll deal with his 300 years of hunger…

College professor Raine Carson spent her life obsessed with myths and legends. And now she’s woken one up. Only, Lucius is nothing like anything she’s ever seen or read about in her history books. Because this man is part sexy badass and part terrifying…monster. Yet she wants him with a hunger like nothing she’s ever felt before.

Lucius used to be part of the Forgotten Brotherhood—a ruthless group of paranormal assassins. Now he’s unsure if his former Brothers are their allies…or enemies. All he knows is that someone is hunting him, and Raine is just as tangled up in this mess as he is. And he’ll protect her—even if it means unleashing his Dragon and all of its power.

LINKS: Goodreads

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My Review:

Another enjoyable read in N.J. Walters’s Forgotten Brotherhood series! Half dragon, half human, Lucius never expected to wake from the eternal slumber he put himself in when he became disenchanted with the human world. But when college professor Raine becomes trapped in a cave with him, she inadvertently wakes Lucius in dragon form and changes both of their lives forever.

Raine and Lucius are great characters, and I enjoyed their story. Raine is so fun and chatty, and she talks to herself as a form of encouragement. Her endless chatter is something Lucius isn’t used to. He’s more reserved and intense than Raine, but she softens him a bit. Both characters learn life-altering news. Raine leanrs that there is a whole supernatural world she didn’t know about, and Lucius must become reacclimated with a world he hasn’t been in for 300 years. It’s interesting to see how they both react to and deal with everything. And their chemistry is great! They have great banter and communication! Plus, their romance has reverse Sleeping Beauty vibes and the fated mates trope, which I really enjoyed.

I also liked the mystery behind why Raine is sent into Lucius’s cave. Did someone know that she and only she could wake him up? And how was her guide involved? Raine and Lucius work together to get to the bottom of the mystery, and they even get help from another in the Forgotten Brotherhood. If you read the first books in the series, you’ll be happy to see a few familiar faces!

This is the fifth standalone book in the series, and it is a fun read for readers who enjoy sexy paranormal romance. Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.