A highly entertaining romantic read .

Madelyn Haynes has always believed that Dragons existed ............ she travels to Moscow to
utilise the Great Library for her research to complete her PhD .
After coming across a book that appears to be written by a man who actually saw and interacted
with Dragons she finds herself kidnapped by Grigori Barinov . He is the eldest in an ancient line of dragon shifters and the guardian of his family’s lands and fortune.
Grigori is determined to keep his Species secrets from the Human population and will go to any lengths to stop Madelyn from exposing them .
But he finds that she is his mate .....leaving him vulnerable , he is immortal whilst she is mortal with a short life span .
The spark between them grows to a full flame and once he reveals who and what he is Madelyn is drawn even further into his thrall . But she has secrets of her own ............ which when revealed could destroy their future together .

This was a good read but took a little time to get into - it feels as though the Author is setting the scene for future books in this World . I will certainly look out for further books in this series .

Original and Exciting!

Grigori is a wonderful introduction into this fascinating world and the exceptional beings who hide their lineage for self preservation. They just need to watch out for those pesky humans who will ultimately steal their hearts.
Madelyn has dreamed of dragons her entire life and has always been interested in proving they are or were real. In Moscow she finds a book that indicates they may be but finds herself in jeopardy as a result of reading it.
Grigori is an exciting, action-packed debut! This is my first read by Ms. Smith, but her Barinov brothers have me hooked, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Thanks to the publisher for offering me the opportunity to read this book!

Book Review
Title: Grigori
Series: Brothers of Ash and Fire #1
Author: Lauren Smith
Genre: Paranormal Romance – Dragon Shapeshifters
Publication Date: October 3, 2017
Cliff Hanger: No

4 Stars

*This story is for mature audiences only. Contains explicit scenes and language intended for adults 18+

Synopsis:
He’s one of the last of a powerful but vanishing bloodline …
Grigori Barinov is the eldest in an ancient line of dragon shifters and the guardian of his family’s lands and fortune. Sworn to protect their history and magic, he won’t rest until he neutralizes any threat to their existence. When he discovers an ancient manuscript that exposes his family and their dragon lineage has fallen into a mortal woman’s hands, he knows he must get the book back by any means necessary. If that means seducing a nosy American woman with an intoxicating scent, he is more than willing to carry her off to his palatial home deep in the heart of Russia.

She’s the one woman who could expose him to the world…

Madelyn Haynes has never fit in. As an adopted child she grew up in a loving home but never felt as though she belonged. Plagued by mysterious dreams she’s had of a silver scaled beast ever since she was a little girl, she is convinced dragons are real. While in Russia working on her PhD in mythology in order to escape the ridicule from fellow professors, she unexpectedly crosses paths with the sexy and dominating Grigori, and after just one night with the man whose eyes seem to burn, she starts to change inside. Isolated in the Russian wilderness Grigori calls home, Madelyn can’t help but fall under his sensual spell, yet something deep inside her calls out that she can’t trust him. She has to show the world dragons are real to salvage academic reputation, even if it means costing her the heart of the dragon she’s falling in love with.

My Thoughts:
Great start to a new series! This author is new to me and I can’t wait to continue on with this series! I am new to the dragon shifter trope as I usually read wolves, bears, etc, so now I can move dragon shifters to the top of the list!

The story starts off with Madelyn on a 3-month sabbatical to do research on her PhD. She has always had a fascination with dragons since she was a child. She also has recurring nightmares about a dragon. Her thesis is to prove that dragons did really exist and they are not a myth. Madelyn travels to Russia and delves right in. She finds herself at the library and is looking through ancient books and runs across a journal written hundreds of years ago about a man who spent a year living with dragons. He chronicled his life with not only words but pictures that he had drawn. She was intrigued and she wanted to take the book out of the library, but it was forbidden, so while the guard wasn’t looking, she took pictures. The guard caught on and he immediately called the guardian of the Barinov family, Grigori Barinov. The guard tried to stop Madelyn from leaving the library until Grigori had a chance to find out what she was after. Madelyn escaped. However, her scent lingered and Grigori and his dragon were convinced she was special. Now the adventure begins!

This book took me on an adventure of self-discovery and acceptance for the characters. The scene was set and I was totally captivated. Especially that it was set in Russia. I don’t know what it is, but I like Russian heroes! I loved the dragon mythology and Russian history that was added to the story. I knew something big was going to happen and the twists that were added along the way only intrigued me more. The story flowed well and I loved Grigori and Madelyn’s love story. I look forward to the brothers Mikail and Rurik’s books and the journey they will take me on.

If you love shifter romance, give this book a try you won’t regret it!

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Love love love love Dragon shifter books. I'm not sure why but just do. Grigori is part of a vanishing blood line and will do whatever it takes to protect his line and family. Bad guys, brothers, and protecting his clan would be easy if his mate wasn't trying to expose him to the world. Madelyn is human and has no idea about the world she has just entered. and well things are going to get interesting.

This story has a lot of Russian history in it making it quite a bit interesting. However I'm not going to lie it was a little slow paced at times but that's smething you can get over. I liked that it didn't just focus on Grigori an dhis brothers but was just as much of Madelyn's story too. Really liked it and can't wait for more.

There be dragons!

Ahhh dragons. I am rooted in common sense in every aspect of life but I can’t help losing myself in a good paranormal romance. There is whimsy, chivalry and (if I’m lucky) bad boys taken to a whole new level. Or scale. And Grigori fits that bill in every way…

Grigori is a man and a dragon with traits from both that make him the strong, loyal defender he is. When Madelyn stumbles into his life this seeming accident of fate quickly becomes anything but. Family secrets are the key to their story and the unraveling of events moves their romance along with danger and heart at the center….

“Dragons are real…”

And oh how I wish that were true! Grigori and his family are protectors who have been around for centuries, their friends list is a who’s who of historical figures. I lost myself in the past and the present as Madelyn and Grigori made dragons extraordinary yet so possible.

“When you kiss me, I don’t need wings.”

And not just any dragons but fierce, loyal, loving ones that are anything but scary. Well, except to their enemies of course. Get ready for battles, intrigue and a love story that is out of this world! I can’t wait to read more about these anything but ordinary brothers. ~Diane

GRIGORI is a modern fairy tale set in Russia, in deep dark libraries, high rise condos, and sprawling estates in the forests. It stars fun new mythology and just enough tropes to be fun.

Madelyn is a university professor on sabbatical, researching dragon mythology in Russia, when she stumbles on a secret and gets kidnapped by the very rich, very imposing Grigori. She does go through a period of helplessness which was a bit annoying, but she grows so much as a character throughout the book that I was rooting for her the whole way. I also enjoyed how she was able to find her inner strength without sacrificing who she is. She isn’t a super-hero, she’s a researcher; she became brave, but I never felt like she had become another character altogether.

There is one simple plot hole that brought down this book’s rating for me and left me wondering how this could have gotten past the first draft. The “ancient manuscript” that Madelyn finds is a journal at the library that Grigori put there years ago. He couldn’t bear to destroy his friends’ journal even though it exposed all his secrets. Has this guy not heard of safety deposit boxes? It was too easy to find this book, and it felt like it was plugged in there to speed up the plot.

Although I was annoyed at this weird event, I still enjoyed this book and will definitely pick up the next volume. There are two more brothers and I can’t wait to read their stories. GRIGORI does a good job of starting the Brothers of Ash and Fire series. It has a satisfying ending that still leaves lots of room to grow plot-wise for the next two books. It has characters that, although they fit into the paranormal romance tropes, are able to make the crazy occurrences believable.

Grigori is my first paranormal romance ready by Lauren Smith and I'm hooked! Grigori had the perfect blend of paranormal (dragon shifters! Yay) romance with a splash of suspense mixed in! Total score!

I did not like this hero or the way he treated the heroine so I decided to DNF..

Thanks!
Mandi

How do you prove that dragons did exist? Madelyn knows that this is her own chance to prove that dragons did exist before she loses everything. But she fears that all her dreams will become the nightmares that she has been having. She keeps on having this dream about being chased by a blue & silver beast but it is just stress she thinks. She has heard about a book that has been written about three male dragons and she needs to find it and see what she can find. She knows that Moscow could hold the answer to all her questions but she fears that someone is after her but why? Grigori Barinov is the head of his family and a proud dragon as well and he knows that he will need to find a mate soon before the family dies out but he hasn't found the one as yet. And now some woman is looking into his family's history and that just can't happen. He needs to continue to keep their secrets and if it means getting rid of her so be it. But Madelyn isn't like anyone he has met, he realizes that she is his mate but he can't have a human wife but why is his beast trying to claim her? Madelyn finds out the truth about him and his family and she can't believe it as she has being looking for the truth for so long. But with promise comes heartache and she is about to learn why she became an orphan and why she is so important. She is the last of her kind and all the dragons want to kill her but will Grigori be able to give her up now? The enemy is coming in for the kill and if the brothers don't stand together the family will be no more. But can they win this battle together or will they lose each other too soon? A great read of love, longing, acceptance and the start of a new life with the one that you will love forever.

Grigori by Lauren Smith is Book 1 of the Brothers of Ash and Fire Series.

Oh mah dayummm...loved it! Dragon shifters...oh yes! Ms. Smith has knocked it out of the park once again. An original storyline, well-defined world, and engaging characters really make the story. A little slow-to-go in the beginning but it’s so worth it as you get a good understanding of the characters and the whole story behind the dragons and how they came to be. A must-read for any PNR readers.

An ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review of which this is both honest and completely voluntary.

I love shifter/PNR books, especially ones with dragons, so I was very excited to read this book. Grigori is a dragon and, as the eldest of his royal line, has sworn to keep his family and its history, safe. When he learns about a book containing information about his family, he goes looking for it. What he finds is Madelyn, a human who should not know about dragons but has been dreaming of them for years. She needs to prove the existence of dragons to vindicate her beliefs against all of her peers who have ridiculed her for years. Grigori needs to get the book away from Madelyn by any means necessary...including seducing her. He doesn't mean to start caring for her.
I enjoyed Grigori and Madelyn together and the twist and turns of this story and thought it was a good start to a new series.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher, St. Martin's Press, via NetGalley. My opinions and reviews are honest and my own.

For anyone who loves a sexy and smoldering tale, with a manly, hot-as-heck hero and a feisty heroine this is definitely a must-read! This was a solid story and I’m really looking forward to the second one.

My very first read of Lauren Smith and her new series, ‘The Royal Dragon”, is very, very interesting. Titled “Grigori” one of the handful of the existing Royal Dragon Shifters, the story is pretty interesting and captivating.

Keeping the history of his ancestry and the existence of his family’s descendants a secret is Grigori’s ultimate goal. But a mythology professor and history buff, Madelyn Haynes is threatening that very secret, it’s his job to make sure she does so, even of he has to kidnap and keep her a prisoner in his castle.

Plagued by mystical dreams, Madelyn comes to Russia looking for answers never imagining being swept away by a dangerous and sexy stranger. The dreams of dragons chase her in the night along with the fiery attraction that sparks towards Grigori.

With ageless secrets coming to life, and with the revelation of truth behind Madelyn’s mythological dreams, Grigori and Madelyn have to decipher history to protect their ancestry, they have come together to fight the evil threatening their existence and future.

Lauren Smith’s first read was pretty impressive and captivating as she takes the readers on a mythological journey of Royal Dragon shifters, their fight to survive among the humans, their struggle to keep their existence a secret, and ward off evil that threatens their mates and their future.

Received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for an honest review.

A woman afraid of the unknown comes face to face with a being straight out of myth and lore.
A short, sexy read full of drama, romance, secrets and action.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

An arc of this book was generously provided to me by Netgalley and SMP Romance

Ahhh!!! I love Grigori!!! From the start up to the last, I was hooked on this story!!! At first, I find Grigori mysterious (not just me but also to Madelyn). Madelyn, she's an interesting heroine. As the story goes, I found so many things not just about her but also who she really is. This book is full of surprises that will make your jaw drop when you read it! Like wow!!! Unexpected!!! Love this book!!!

I really enjoyed this story! Russian dragons, unknown ancestry, and avoiding a paranormal war? What's not to love!? I enjoyed the initial cloak and dagger aspect of it, actually I wished it would have permeated the story more, but I liked what was there. The one downside of the story is just how biddable Madelyn is, I wished she would have run Grigori on more of a chase, lol, kept him on his toes! Other than that small quibble it was an overall enjoyable story, nice pace, a more solid plot, and decently written and researched. Thank you for the opportunity to review this work!!

Publisher's Description:
"Lauren has created a new series that will capture you from page one! Grigori is exactly what a dragon should be. Smoking hot, sexy, and wickedly dangerous. You're going to love this book!" - New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Ivy

He’s one of the last of a powerful but vanishing bloodline …
Grigori Barinov is the eldest in an ancient line of dragon shifters and the guardian of his family’s lands and fortune. Sworn to protect their history and magic, he won’t rest until he neutralizes any threat to their existence. When he discovers an ancient manuscript that exposes his family and their dragon lineage has fallen into a mortal woman’s hands, he knows he must get the book back by any means necessary. If that means seducing a nosy American woman with an intoxicating scent, he is more than willing to carry her off to his palatial home deep in the heart of Russia.

She’s the one woman who could expose him to the world…
Madelyn Haynes has never fit in. As an adopted child she grew up in a loving home but never felt as though she belonged. Plagued by mysterious dreams she’s had of a silver scaled beast ever since she was a little girl, she is convinced dragons are real. While in Russia working on her PhD in mythology in order to escape the ridicule from fellow professors, she unexpectedly crosses paths with the sexy and dominating Grigori, and after just one night with the man whose eyes seem to burn, she starts to change inside. Isolated in the Russian wilderness Grigori calls home, Madelyn can’t help but fall under his sensual spell, yet something deep inside her calls out that she can’t trust him. She has to show the world dragons are real to salvage academic reputation, even if it means costing her the heart of the dragon she’s falling in love with.

My Thoughts:

Lauren's description of Grigori in dragon form was so good that I pictured him in my mind's eye and was ready to get out the prisms colors to draw him.

Grigori Barinov is the eldest in an ancient line of dragon shifters. When a young American woman happens to show an interest in a book written long ago about his Dragon Shifting family, Grigori has her abducted and brought to him.

Madelyn was adopted as a young child and never fit in. Her belief that Dragons had at one time been real brings her to Russia in search of answers to save her job. She is astounded by her discovery.

Will Grigori and Madelyn's attraction for each other lead to their Happily Ever After?

I loved this book and finished reading it the same day I started it. I can hardly wait for book #2, Mikhail's story.
Even the love at first sight thing didn't bother me very much. I am now in love with dragon shifters again. Throwing in another mythical character in the form of the heroine, who wasn't a dragon but another mythical being who happens to be an enemy of the dragons was a brilliant touch.

The only other Dragon Shifters series that captured my attention as much as Grigori was the Drakon Series by Shana Abe'. I couldn't wait for the next one of them to release and bought the whole series in hardcover.

I gave this book 4.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a hot sensual rating of 4 of 5 flames. The intimacy between our hero and heroine is surprisingly sweet as well as scorchingly hot.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Love, love, love this story!

First off, I’m a HUGE dragon shifter fan. So when I found out one of my favorite authors, Lauren Smith, was starting a dragon shifter series I was so there. And what a start it is! This story grabbed me from the first page. Grigori is full of intrigue, action and enchanting characters. I love that it's set in Russia, it's a new setting to me. I can't wait for the next in the series.

I would recommend this book to any dragon shifter readers!

I’m not always interested in dragon tales, but this one caught my eye. I don’t think it was the cover, either, but rather in the description of the story. I wasn’t disappointed, either.

The characters on the book are strong and secondary characters interesting enough, but I found myself a little bored through certain points. What kept me going was trying to figure out what happens in the end–obviously–but, I feel like some readers, who may not be as curious as I am, may put the book down half read. There is truly only one way to judge and that is to read it for yourself. I feel I should repeat that I am not normally attracted to dragon stories, so maybe that’s why I felt that way.

I should also add that since this is first in a series, I’ll probably read the second. After all, I did enjoy the story. For the sake of fairness, my blog readers will know that I do tend to lean toward darker romance novels. There is little more in the world of the supernatural that I enjoy more than an angry, brooding vampire, so for a book that wasn’t exactly my norm, I feel like this one was well worth a recommendation from me.

Lauren Smith’s first book in her new series Brothers of Ash and Fire introducing us to the Barinov brothers. Grigori Barinov is the eldest in an ancient line of dragon shifters and the guardian of his family’s lands and fortune. Grigori has discovered a mortal woman has in her hands an ancient manuscript that exposes his family and their dragon lineage that she’s gotten from the Russian library. He has sworn to protect his family and lands at all costs.
Madelyn Haynes has had a fascination with Dragon’s her whole life. Now she’s in Russia working on her PhD in mythology trying to prove her theory that dragons aren't simply a myth, but real and she’s about to be proven right when she unexpectedly crosses paths with the sexy and dominating Grigori. She is completely captivated by Grigori and she starts to change little by little. For Grigori meeting Madelyn is exciting filled with sexual tension he’s found the only woman in for him, but the Barinov family has enemies and once they discover he’s found his mate they know he’ll be distracted and looking to take advantage him as Madelyn falls under his sensual spell. What a great start to a new dragon shifter series with an epic love story for all time!!! I can’t wait to read about the other Barinov brothers!!!
This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.