Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon is an exquisitely outstanding journey of finding the courage to claim a love that threatened to consume and transform in the blink of an eye. I found myself falling in love with the extraordinary world and its fabulous characters that you meet along the way. It will leave your pulse pounding and stimulate all of your senses. You will find yourself losing your heart to the wonderfully original story and the magnificent cast of characters. Paranormal romance has always found a special place in my heart, and this is one is definitely no exception. The mystery, passion, and suspense left me hungry for so much more. This is one series that I would love to dive into and never come back.

Silas is fighting a losing battle trying to keep his family and country happy and prosperous. The harder he fights the worse things seem to get. When it seems that all hope is lost fate sends him help via a mysterious elf who challenges him every step of the way. She is intelligent, loyal, and brave, and he can’t help but be drawn to her. She is unlike anyone he has ever met. Even through Gwen found herself in Silas’s country through irregular means, she can’t help but feel a great sadness for all that Silas and his people have endured over the years. From a deep sense of responsibility and courage, she agrees to work with Silas to do whatever she can to help aid in the health and prosperity of his people.

Gwen has never known anything but insults and prejudice all of her life, so when Silas pays her honest compliments to her raw beauty and amazing mind, she doesn’t know how to take them. Silas tries to wipe away the pain in her past as best he can if she will only open her heart to him. Gwen has never needed courage until now to face a fierce and unconditional love and decide whether to accept it as it is or turn it away as another form of ridicule.

This is the first book that I have read by Kerrelyn Sparks, and I am completely in awe of this incredible story and astounding characters. My heart was immediately immersed in this world where you feel a depth of emotion that will touch your very soul while embracing a new world that will leave you absolutely breathless. If I have my way this will not be the last that I read from this fabulous author. I plan on savoring her extraordinary talent as much as I can.

This is outside my normal romance genres I typically read, and I had a hard time figuring out which tags to use. Paranormal romance? Supernatural powers? Usually when I use these tags they're in more of a contemporary fiction kind of setting, not a medieval-ish fantasy, but at the same time they sort of fit? The tags I am sure of are romance, fantasy, and dragons!

The world building is really interesting, with people born on one of the two lunar eclipses each year being granted special powers. It makes for a very eclectic cast of characters, as everyone has a different sort of power. It's also got shifters and dragons and a war with the elves. What's not to love?

Gwennore, our leading lady, has the ability to touch a person on one of their pulse points and get a reading for their state of health, and is able to know what, if anything, is wrong with them. It bugs me that the blurb for this book describes her as "An Elf able to track down the cause of an illness and heal it, she’s a valuable asset to her people." Her power is sensing the illness, and she's learned about herbs and things to heal but she doesn't have healing powers.

I really enjoyed Silas, aka General Gorgeous. Some of the things he said had me laughing out loud, especially in his banter with Gwen. ("Rejected again.") I love me a tall, dark and handsome man who is strong with a sense of humor.

This is the third book in The Embraced series and it can be read as a stand alone... sort of. Let me clarify: There are five adopted/foster sisters, and each book focuses on one of the sisters and her love interest. The romantic plot as well as the plot involving the sister in question's love interest is resolved within the book, but there is also a larger overarching plot that reaching across the books. I read this book without reading the first two in the series and enjoyed it, but I think I'd have enjoyed it more if I'd read books one and two first. There is enough backstory given that you can put it together and the story works, but it would be better with all the pieces. There are also DEFINITELY spoilers for the first two books. I'm going to suggest you read this series in order if you can (and if the plots for the first two books look interesting to you!) If for some reason you only read romances about dragons, you can sure read this as a stand alone and skip the first two books.

Eight Simple Rules For Dating A Dragon is a story that I have been looking forward to for a YEAR and so to say that I was excited is putting it mildly. Now I won't say that I loved this book as much as book two (which is still my favorite book this author has ever written) but there was so MUCH goodness in this book. And quite frankly, I was so mad that this book was only 400 pages...it honestly just wasn't long enough for me, I mean seriously people...I breezed through this book in like 2 hours....I never read that quickly but I definitely read this one in one sitting and before I realized it the story was over and I didn't want it to be.

So in book two So I Married A Sorcerer we get glimpses of the dragons and the realm that they live in, which they are super secretive anyway. But I was so intrigued by these "dragons" and most especially their general and future heir Silas Dravenko. This book starts out with our heroine who is Gwenmore. She is Elf and as such she is looked at by main with disdain and really dislike as a whole. But somehow she is next to find her "husband' according to her group of friends and adopted sisters. But she doesn't really believe in it. While playing with Luciana's young daughter, who gets kidnapped by a real fire breathing dragon, Gwenmore does what she has to and jumps a ride with the dragon. And when he kicks her off and she almost is killed, she is saved by another dragon, one that she can understand and one she bonds with on an intimate level without realizing who he really is.

They are taken to the realm of the dragons and the people who live in this hidden kingdom. A kingdom that has a King and Queen that are mentally disturbed and being poisoned. The people are suffering from a curse that has lasted for hundreds of years. But Gwenmore is a healer, and she knows the sciences of medicines and believes that she can help including helping them evade a war with Luciana and her husband.

It soon becomes apparent that the castle is full of dangers especially with an enemy that is poisoning the royal family and it is up to Gwen to discover why and who and to help put a stop at it so the country can heal from this "curse" that is plaguing them. But they meet up with the "circle of the five" including the chameleon they fought in book two but never defeated. And the man he takes the image and station of is NOT someone you would ever expect. I was really intrigued with this side plot of danger and intrigue that this "circle" is playing.

We learn more about Gwen's true heritage and that she is more than what she seems to be. And we see why she truly feels at home in the realm of the dragons and that her "dragon" is the man she is falling for, the future king of the realm of the Dragons. And boy the chemistry between these two is powerful. I just loved their sweet slow burning connecting that builds in this story. It honestly wasn't quite what I expected, since its slow but intense at the same time. You just become hooked on their romance and seeing their story just bloom in its own way.

We see how much this country has been suffering for so many years with fear in their hearts all the time, and I love that once Gwen enters into it, things just start to fall into place and we see some healing that begins. Especially when we learn about her parents and see her kind and gentle spirit just learn to blossom and grow stronger in this story. I felt such a kinship to the characters here and seeing both Silas and Gwen grow together and also start to rebuild a country that needs some true joy and healing. They make such a great team and work so in sync without even realizing that they are doing it.

I found this story to be a breathtaking installment into a world that is captivating and thrilling in the only way that Sparks can pen a tale....a TRUE JEWEL!!

I absolutely LOVED this book! It's the 3rd book of the series and it's my favorite. Why?

1) She's an elf. He's a dragon-shifter. Enough said. At least for me. Hahaha. But seriously, dragon-shifter romances are one of the tropes I really enjoy; so the fact that she's an elf is extra bonus points.

2) The banter between Gwen and Silas was gold. Their conversations/scenes were funny, witty, sexy, and so entertaining. Watching their relationship grow and evolve was such a pleasure. No insta-lust, insta-love destined-mate-recognition here. Their love story, their relationship developed at a nice, steady pace.

3) I loved that Gwen was spunky, fierce, loyal, brave, and sweet. I loved that Silas was strong and dominant but was also sensitive, caring, protective, and mischievous.

4) It's a dual-POV story.

Other reviews say that this book is okay to read as a stand-alone. I would have to disagree. There are too many characters from the previous 2 books that make an appearance in this book. If you didn't read the other books, I think it would get quite confusing to keep them all straight. Also, the underlying action/conflict is one that is connected to the first 2 stories as well.

I can't wait to read book 4!

I loved reading the enthralling and amazing third book in The Embraced series. I voluntarily reviewed the book through NetGalley.
When Gwenmore is dropped into the Kingdom of Dragons with the young princess, she wants the young princess returned in exchange for her help in healing the curse and the stopping the plague. The handsome, sexy General Silas, captivates Gwenmore's attention, but she must fight her attraction to save Silas, his kingdom, and get back home to her sisters.
Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, full of romance and intrigue, and a must read love story.

Another great book by Kerrelyn Sparks! Her books always leave me happy and waiting for the next one.

As the third installment in a wonderful new series by Kerrelyn Sparks, this book continues to create an exciting world of magic and mystery! I love each new couple better than the last, and this one is no exception. Both main characters are lovely, with depth to them that is slowly peeled back as the reader delves through the book, and that made it a really enjoyable read.

It's been several years since the five adopted sisters left the Isle of Moon for their new lives on the mainland. Gwennore has accepted her lot in life, which she believes to mean that she will never marry, for elves are not accepted in Tourinian or Eberoni society. Finding solace in her sister's children, she spends as much time with them as possible. When her favorite child, Eviana, is kidnapped right in front of her by a fierce dragon, she grabs on to his leg and refuses to let go. Thus Gwennore finds herself captive along with little girl in Norveshka, the land of dragons, and things go from bad to worse when she realizes the Queen is mad and her only ally has too many secrets for her comfort. Now she must determine who she can trust, before it's too late.

Gwennore and her ally, General Silas Dravenko, are an extremely cute couple - seriously, their every interaction made me laugh out loud. Particularly Gwennore's nickname for him, General Gorgeous, which she doesn't realize is broadcasted to him every time she thinks it. The fact that Silas can read her mind and she doesn't figure this out for a while in the book makes it all the funnier, and once his secrets are revealed, the hilarity begins all over again. It's impossible for her to stay angry with him. He was so cute in how he kept up the pretense that they were lovers in order to keep her safe, and I loved that she didn't give in right away. Of course, I would have been happy had she given in a bit sooner, as it did seem to drag on longer than I would have preferred. However, their relationship was so entertaining that it didn't really matter when they became intimate. There were more important things to focus on. In addition to those two characters, there were also a lot of great secondary characters that will have you laughing just as much, such as the flamboyant Olenka, whose personality matched that of several people I have known over the years. Endearing and sweet, she was a nice addition to a great cast of characters.

As usual, I have finished a Kerrelyn Sparks book wishing I could jump right into the next book. I love her books so much, and I am eager to read the next. I imagine it will be Sorcha, but I am hoping we get Maeve's soon as well, who I think will end up with Brody (am I right?).

**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**

Kerrelyn Sparks’ newest offering to her Embraced series, ‘Eight Simple Rules For Dating A Dragon’, is a fast pace and humorous story. This third story had an interesting mixture of paranormal with superstition. The love story was good too.
The heroine, Gwennore, must find courage in herself and use her special gifts through several events; a kidnapping and rescue, being unwanted in a new land at war with elves because she is an elf, and deadly plots that could cause her death. Despite all odds she will willing help to save a people from extinction from a supposed ancient curse while falling in love with the hero, “General Gorgeous” Silas.
The hero, Silas, while having his own secrets, tries to distract Gwennore from her fascination with a certain dragon that rescued her from sure death by coming up with rules for her about dating her dragon. This is all while he is protecting her and falling deeply in love with her at the same time.
The Embraced is my new watch for series. Already I cannot wait for the next story.

Love this series. I really appreciated that it was Dual POV - CANNOT stand when it's a romance and there's only one POV.

This is Gwen's book. Gwen has a talent, just like all of her adopted sisters. (By the way such a sucker for this series. 5 "orphans" all with different powers/backgrounds and they are all sisters with a books for each girl. I'm in hog heaven) With one touch she can tack down the cause of an illness and the path to healing it. And due to her mysterious heritage she sound out she could hear/communicate with dragons and super old trees interestinggggg.

Gwennore - the lovely Gwennie - was a very sweet character. I did get a little frustrated with her at times. The whole "Should I?" or "Should I not?" when it came to Silas - BECAUSE WE ALL KNEW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION. Plus she kind of tried too hard to endear herself to others ya know? All I could think of was why hadn't she ever heard of "Those who matter don't mind - those who mind don't matter"

Silas was funny - I enjoyed his thought process and his abilities. LOVED Puff.

Over all the plot was great and I loved loved loved Kerrelyn Spark's writing. Cannot wait for the enxt installment!!

You will want to read this book because it's wildly entertaining and Kerrelyn Sparks is a mastermind at world building and a well thought out plot.   Her previous series set the bar pretty high, but with The Embraced she continues to exceed expectations on a new world full of fun and likable characters.  I can't wait to read more from this series.

I continue to a) LOVE this series and b) wish that the books were packaged a little less sensationally. As it is, I'm pretty sure all of my friends who like fantasy overall look at the covers and flee in terror, while I run after them shouting "Come back! It's not as trashy as it looks, I SWEAR."

I really enjoyed reading, Eight simple rules for dating a dragon. I thought it was cleverly written, I found the characters interesting with good chemistry between them. I didn't want it to end.

"Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon" is a great continuation in the Embraced series. The Embraced are individuals born when the two moons eclipse (or "embrace") on one of two days of the year, and they essentially have some kind of "gift" or special ability. We follow in each book one of the five (adopted) sisters who grew up on the Isle of Moon together. They were all sent to the Isle of Moon as babies to protect them from the Mainland, where the Embraced are frequently considered outcasts or killed. None of them knew their families and so they became their own family as they grew up with the nuns on the island.

This book features Gwennore (Gwen), who is of elf descent and can tell what ails a person by touching them. Although she can diagnose, she is still learning how to treat what she diagnoses. Because of her appearance, she is scorned and mocked by the courtiers in her sisters' kingdoms (the two featured in the first two books) where she now resides. She loves her sisters, and so she is content to stay with them, but sometimes it is hard to withstand the mockery of their people. One day, as she runs from the courtiers' cruelty, she heads to the fields with Eviana (one of Luciana's twins) to pick flowers. A dragon comes to kidnap the girl for the queen of Norveshka, the land of the dragons.

Fearing for Eviana, Gwen grabs onto the dragon to travel with the 3-year-old princess. Strangely, another dragon arrives and begins to argue with the first dragon- and Gwen realizes she can hear them speaking through thoughts. The second dragon saves her from plummeting to her death and brings her with him to stay alongside Eviana. He promises to help bring Eviana home. Although he won't tell her his name, she names him Puff and feels very close to him (from the near-death situation). There is also a General- Silas- who helps to rescue her when the queen, who has been losing her grip on sanity, wants to throw Gwen in the dungeon and keep the young princess as her own.

Gwen soon learns that there is a curse on the royal family that makes them slowly go mad and die. However, her gift tells her that it is not a curse, but something sinister. She agrees to stay to help when Eviana is returned. At the same time, she finds that she has feelings for Puff and Silas that she never expected.

This book was so much better than the previous, in large part because Gwen is smart/clever and you don't feel that she is so naive as the other sisters. Silas is also a great character, and he is very easy to like. The mission that she has been given adds some layers of mystery to this book, and the plot moves very smoothly and at a perfect pace. The romance is once again almost non-existent. Although there is a lot of crushing and attraction, we only get a few kisses until about 90% of the way through the book. I appreciated that there is not as much focus on her lack of experience during this scene, and instead, Gwen is portrayed as the smart and kind person that she is throughout (I didn't feel this way with the earlier books).

I think this series becomes better with each installment, and I absolutely loved the way this one developed (the same characters appear throughout, including the same villain, the Chameleon). It's a great way to connect all the stories, so even though they can be read as stand-alones, there's enough to keep you going in the series for the connections between them. For people looking for a heavy romance, this is not your book. However, if you want a slow-building relationship with a centuries-old mystery to solve, this is the perfect read for you. I really enjoyed it and think this was even better than the previous books in the series.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This book was an absolute delight!

It seems like lately I’ve been reading books where the guy is a jerk to the heroine, she is feisty but eventually gives in no matter how crappy the guy previously treated her. There’s usually some type of mating bond, since it’s a fantasy or PNR, and it explains away his jerky alpha male behavior. If you want to read a book like that, this one is not for you. Silas knows what he wants, he goes after it, and he’s not a jerk to Gwen. He’s actually nice to her and doesn’t care that she’s an elf, an enemy of his people. He’s funny and teases her, and gives her an actual reason to like him.

I loved Gwen. She’s not strong in the sense of swords and steel, but when someone she loves is in dangers, she literally jumps on a dragon for them. Her power is healing, and I love a great healer story. Also, Gwen has a lot of angst potential. She was given away, raised by nuns, the society around her is distrustful of her kind and rude to her at best. Instead of focusing on the negative, she is grateful for her sisters and keeps the friends she has very close. She has no hopes for children or a family of her own, but instead of being sad, she focuses on being a great aunt to her sister’s children.

When her beloved niece is kidnapped by a dragon, she jumps on and catches a ride so her niece won’t be alone. She is taken to another kingdom, with a mad queen who is kidnapping children and claiming them as her own. Gwen is convinced by Silas to stay and use her healing powers to figure out what is going on. So there’s an actual plot, not just the main couple meeting. And it made me laugh. Any book that makes me laugh is a win!

The world building was great. It’s set in another world, with different kingdoms and gifts. This is the third book in the series. I had not read the other two books but it didn’t stop me from understanding this one. I plan on reading the other two books.

I’d recommend this if you like fantasy romance, shifter stories, or want a good laugh.


Thanks Netgalley and the publisher St Martin’s Press for an arc of this book.

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon was my favorite of the Sparks' Embraced series so far because ... Dragons!! I like these light fantasy romances - even though I now skip over the info dump explanation of the magically talented Embraced and their world which leads off each book- where each of five sisters for the Heart raised as orphans discover love and their own history. This time around the elvish Gwenore finds her match in Silas, General to the northern people who live in the land of the dragons, after she ends up hitching a dragon ride when her young 'niece' is kidnapped by another dragon. Silas is captured by her bravery and her beauty and Gwenore is won over by his attention and good opinion of her.

The romance between them is fun, but I did have issues with the wrap up of the background plot and the quick cut to the HEA - the fallout from the 'curse' on the royal family and the obstacle of Gwen's elvish heritage are swept under the rug when both things would have lasting repercussions for Gwen in her new homeland. But then again this is light romance so the lack of follow through is not that unexpected.

I look forward to the next sister's story.

ARC via Net galley, I received no other compensation for my review.

3.5

Requested and received an ARC from NetGalley.

First off, dropping into the series on book 3 was probably not the best idea. I was able to fully enjoy the romantic aspects of it but I found the world sort of confusing and there is a sub-plot I was almost completely lost on which I have to guess started in book 1 with the original villains. Honestly I couldn't even keep all the "sisters" straight but I'm not sure that wasn't an issue on my part. I did love Silas though....he was a great "Puff" dragon. I wish we'd get the stories of his two cousins (because DRAGONS) but I'm guessing we won't based on what I could gather of the world. Despite hating Gwennore's name I actually liked her a lot too even though I would have liked her to have found her backbone with people other than Silas a lot sooner. The one other issue I had was with Gwennore's "gift" and that the author doing a poor job of explaining why they thought the herbal remedies would work against "the plague" or its lingering effects. I think she should have done more research or at least talked to an herbalist to make it more believable. Luckily the action and the chemistry between Silas and Gwennore carried me through the rougher parts and I still ended up really enjoying the story. For those of you are not fans of the sexy times, you will be happy to know there is really only one long sex scene which was pretty tame considering he's a dragon. Enjoyable but also easily skimmable if it's not your thing.

This book was seriously sweet and balanced fantastical elements well against a developing romance with two unique individuals. While the story itself was quite predictable, it was still fun seeing the plot unfold and seeing Gwennore grow into her character. Romance readers who are fond of character growth and intriguing fantasy elements should pick this one up!

+ Gwennore is an elf that feels out of place. She is reviled for being an elf (elves in this series follow the generic elf descriptions: tall, willowy, pale, sharp ears) and wants to find adventure.
+ This adventure comes when she and her sister’s child is captured by a dragon.
+ Subsequently, she gets saved by another dragon that she names “Puff.”
+ From there on, she’s led to the land of dragons and tries to help the citizens save their kingdom and the “curse” that has plagued the nobles.
+ The romance is with General Silas Dravenko, who basically fell for her at first sight.
+ While she has misgivings about their developing relationship (featuring a forbidden love), Silas isn’t afraid of wooing her.
+ Loved Silas; he’s not afraid to go after what he wants but also maintains respect. There was this one scene where he really wanted to kiss Gwennore but waits until she gives him consent.
+ I also enjoyed seeing Gwennore grow into her healing powers and realize how strong she is.
+ Their romance was smoking with chemistry, although a lot of it is push-and-pull throughout the book.
+ One thing that I irked me a bit was the traditional gender roles that takes place in the fantasy world. Sure, the ladies are all strong, but the clear divide between the men and women's roles was clearly evident.

Content Warning: violence, sexual content

Final Rating: 3.5 stars!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the review copy!

I really enjoyed this book! I had a really hard time putting down. It was an interesting combination of historical (culture) and modern (speech) since it was set in a different world. I quickly became invested in Gwen and Silas, and would love to read more!

I really enjoyed this book it is the third in the series I missed the second one and am definitely going to go back and read it cant wait for the other books that follow.