Absolutely EPIC dark fantasy romance! Hands down one of my top 3 books of the year. I was hooked from the first time he growled “MINE!”. Certainly everything a romantasy girlie could want in a gorgeously wrapped package. Fantastic world and character building. I loved that the Romans were dragon shifters. There’s so much to love about this book that I don’t want to spoil it. This is a dark fantasy, while no trigger warnings are listed in the book itself, they can be found on the authors website & include attempted SA, slaves, death, gore and violence, master slave dynamics with what can be construed as non con or dubious consent. Read more

I was SO excited to get this book. I want to start this by saying I haven’t finished the book yet, but the writing is easy to read. I wish I had known it was a dark romance ahead of time. Spoilers, shouldn’t be spoilers, I keep hoping the master/slave dynamic changes. Either way it’s a page turner. The 3 star is because I would give it a 1 star for the print quality. It’s awful. If I saw it in a book store, I may have walked right by. It’s printed dark and muted and nothing like the book was advertised. For a large company like Bramble, you would think there would be more quality control. I hoped I had gotten a dud I could return, but it appears from other reviews this is how it was released. Read more

This was a fascinating fantasy world, with a basis in ancient Rome, but where the patricians are DRAGONS! Malina is a dancer, along with her sisters and others, in a traveling troupe. One night, 3 Romans show up to their performance, and Malina is both scared by, and attracted to, their leader. They have an immediate connection, though Malina is reluctant to acknowledge it. She thinks she'll never see him again. 4 years later, Julian is now a general, and one of the most powerful dragons in Rome. He unexpectedly sees Malina again, in the aftermath of a battle he's just won. She's in danger, and he immediately reacts. He had an inkling of what she was to him the first time they met, but now, he knows for sure. He can't let her go. The only way to keep Malina, and to keep her safe in Rome, is to bring her into his household as a slave. He is the emperor's nephew, and he cannot be seen to be breaking any laws. Malina wants to hate him, but the connection she feels to him can't be denied, and the magic inside her won't let her ignore their tether. Their chemistry was off the charts, even when they tried to fight it. They cared for each other so much, and at times that was painful for both of them. As the reader, I suffered right along with them. And when they finally did connect, it was FIRE! This story definitely dealt with darker themes, and power dynamics. The worldbuilding was obviously heavy, as book 1 in a series, but it all felt vital. Many of the side characters were wonderful, and the villains were truly heinous. It definitely made me feel all my feelings! I really enjoyed myself while reading, and I'm definitely looking forward to the next book already! Based on some things in this book, I'm really hoping I know who the heroine of book 2 will be... Read more