Interception

Dark Earls #4

by Rebecca Cohen

Maybe a dragon can teach an old elf new tricks.


Dragon-shifter Dorian Marsten might be the hottest thing in Hollywood, but even he has to take no for an answer sometimes. Dorian doesn’t like that his ex-lover, Robin Flint, isn’t open to play now he’s married, but it’s not just jealousy, Dorian is convinced Robin’s new husband has entrapped him, and Dorian is going set Robin free.

Dabbling in magic he doesn’t understand doesn’t go well for Dorian, and he finds himself trapped in his dragon form after an altercation at a party at Crofton Hall. Alex, the Dark Earl of Crofton’s elf secretary, is now stuck on babysitting duty until they can fix Dorian.

Turns out, Alex doesn’t mind Dorian as much as he thought he might, but when the options to break the spell keep failing, they’re going to need all the help they can get if they want to get their happy ending.

Genres: Romance, M M Romance

277 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 19, 2026

About the author

REBECCA COHEN spends her days dreaming of living in a Tudor manor house, or a Georgian mansion. Alas, the closest she comes to this is through her characters in her historical romance novels. She also dreams of intergalactic adventures and fantasy realms, but because she’s not yet got her space or dimensional travel plans finalised, she lives happily in leafy Hertfordshire, England, with her husband and young son. She can often be found with a pen in one hand and sloe gin with lemon tonic in the other.

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

˗ˏˋ ꒰ 𝟑.𝟐/𝟓 ★ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

🐉⛓️ 𝚊 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜; 𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚊𝚏𝚎 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎 🔮🧝🏻‍♂️

oh boy, where do i even begin🙈 i'll be honest, this wasn't exactly what i expected..🫣
overall it was a sweet, cozy read, very low-angst vibes despite some "inconvenient stuff" happening. it was also more plot focused, which was interesting in a way and written well enough that the story wasn't dragging, however the relationship part was lacking for me.. sure, Alex & Dorian were sweet together! once they met & got to know each other - which happened almost halfway in the story💀 i wasn't a fan of that.. if it weren't for the writing & the entertaining side characters i've gotten to know & love in previous books, i may have given up on this book, before the MCs ever met (at around 45% !!), to be quite honest..🫣🫠 but i'm also kinda glad i kept going🤷🏻‍♀️

𝑨𝒍𝒆𝒙 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒙𝒆𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚. “𝑾𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒈𝒂𝒎𝒆.”
𝑫𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑨𝒍𝒆𝒙 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒈𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎.

in the end i was happy for the MCs, Dorian was a bit of a dummy dragon, a himbo superstar with bad decisions but good intentions & a good heart💗 and Alex turned out to be a caring, sweet characters as well, not exactly the "nasty dark" elf that's said about his kind. tho i expected him to be different, i still kinda yearned for him to show a bit of darkness, reveal some of his dark-ish side even on a lowkey way, if that makes sense lol. i do wish we could've gotten more about Alex's history/background, i also feel like the hurt/comfort vibes could've been explored more c,: and i wished to see more chemistry & love between the MCs - despite them being cute & sweet together when they got the chance🐉💞🧝🏻‍♂️

𝑯𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏, 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉.
(...)
𝑯𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒆’𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝑫𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏’𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆 𝒉𝒆’𝒅 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕, 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆.

oh well, not all books can be a winner, but it was still a kinda chill read after all💫

【 જ⁀➴ 𝓲 𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓐𝓻𝓬 𝓲 𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓮𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻 𝓿𝓲𝓪 𝓖𝓪𝔂 𝓡𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀𝓼.ᐟ 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓸𝔀𝓷, 𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓾𝓲𝓷𝓮 (𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓬) 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 ⊹˙✧ 】

➥ ᴍᴍ
➥ ᴛʜɪʀᴅ-ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ, ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ
ପଓ  ᴘɴʀ/ᴜʀʙᴀɴ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
𓆩𓆪  ᴅʀᴀɢᴏɴ sʜɪғᴛᴇʀ × ᴇʟғ
ପଓ  ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ sᴛᴀʀ × ʙᴜᴛᴛʟᴇʀ/ᴀssɪsᴛᴀɴᴛ (ᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴠᴀᴍᴘ)
𓆩𓆪  ᴡɪᴅᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴍᴄ/ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ʟᴏss
ପଓ  (ʟᴏᴡᴋᴇʏ) ʜᴜʀᴛ/ᴄᴏᴍғᴏʀᴛ
𓆩𓆪  ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴀᴛᴏᴍʏ, ᴡɪɴɢs, ᴛᴀɪʟs, sᴄᴀʟᴇs ᴇᴛᴄ.
ପଓ  ᴅʀᴀɢᴏɴ ɴᴇsᴛɪɴɢ, "ɴᴇsᴛᴍᴀᴛᴇ"
𓆩𓆪  sᴛᴀɴᴅᴀʟᴏɴᴇ (ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ʜᴇᴀ) ɪɴ ᴀɴ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ sᴇʀɪᴇs (ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɪs ᴘʀᴏʙᴀʙʟʏ ʙᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪɴ ᴏʀᴅᴇʀ)
➽ ᴛᴡ: ᴘᴀʀᴀɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ-ᴛʏᴘᴇ ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴄᴇ, ᴛʀᴀᴜᴍᴀ, ᴅʀᴜɢ ᴜsᴇ, ʀᴇғᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴅʀɪɴᴋɪɴɢ ᴄᴏɴsᴜᴍᴘᴛɪᴏɴ (ʙʏ ᴠᴀᴍᴘs), ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛs ᴏғ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ

[ivanareadsalot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank GRR for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Ahhhh this installment in the Dark Earls series was sooooo sooooooo cute!! I really enjoyed this!!!

I am a huge fan of Cohen's narrative style and flow, which always feels like she just sets me up in a boat and down the river I go. Despite the amount of characters who lend Dorian a hand in this, it never ceases to amaze me how very chill and comforting I find her storytelling every. single. time. No worries or overwhelm in this book, because everyone's past plotty melodramas and their magical skillsets were accessible, expanded on, action-oriented and magnanimously available for the babes in love, needing the help of the Dark Earls 1,2,3+++!

I eat up the surrender js.

So, more than this just being a smushy-sweet, good-time read, I straight up LOVED Dorian! He was the epitome of a gorgeous Hollywood himbo who, unfortunately, went sideways with his good intentions after Robin, his manager-with-benefits, locked it down with someone else.

Yes of course jealous Dorian took his "concern" too far. He caught hunger pangs for an emotionally unavailable man, and then made some twisted up decisions on an empty stomach.



But what was great about this whole book was that not only was humbled, Dragon Dorian f'king adorable, but that his whole "conniving" vibe that he started off being was not actually who he truly was at his core! Dorian was sensitive and sweet and lonely in a sense, and his only "meaningful" connection in the most fake place on the planet was Robin. Who then bailed on the intimacy Dorian had elevated to more than what it was because then, who did he have left?

Ugh my heart!

And then he got his sh!t magically rocked and was stuck as a dragon, and I melted because he was the cutest thing I wanted to hug and protect with my life.



So I was beyond happy that when the Dark Earls cavalry got called in to solve why Dorian's shifting ability got jacked up, Alex clocked his preciousness, leaned into the truth of Dorian's heart, and felt big feelings for him in return.

This was such a lovely, sweet, surprisingly cozy read for me and I enjoyed it immensely.

And nooooooooow I really really really want Karl's spicy romance, because Interception was a much softer, heartwarming read than I'd expected, and I'm burning alive wondering who can handle what Karl's got to offer! Can't wait!

[DebbieReadsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Independent reviewer for GRR, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 4 in the Dark Earls series, and while not strictly necessary, I do recommend you read Destiny (book 2) before this one. That is Robin and Simon's story and since Dorian causes problems in that book, it will give you a better picture of Dorian and Robin's history.

Also, they are all bloody good, so, yeah, read them!

Dorian thinks something is wrong with Robin to not want to play with him, now Robin is married to Simon. So he does something stupid and finds himself stuck in his dragon form. Alex, Ben's secretary, is tasked with keeping Dorian alive and Crofton Hall in one piece. There are darker forces at work, and time will be needed to get to the bottom of what's happened and why. Then Dorian has to choose between his dragon form and his human form. But how can he keep Alex, as a dragon?

What I'm loving about these rewrites from Crofton Hall, is that even though they are rewritten darker and from a paranormal aspect, the original character personalities are coming through loud and so very clear. Before I read this book, I read my review for Coming Out at Crofton Hall (book 6) and I'll quote from that review: Alex discovers that Dorian Forbes, the man or dragon in this case, is a very different man to Dorian Marsten, the Hollywood blockbuster star! I loved that it takes time for Alex to see, really see Dorian, rather than the large dragon taking up his time.

It's a bit of a slower burn, due to Dorian being stuck, but I loved that here. I liked that they got to know each other, way before anything happens.

The plot as to why Dorian managed to find himself in the bit of a pickle was complex and took some time to unfold and I didn't actually ssee what was happeneing until itwas revealed in the book. I do like being kept on my toes!

Ben and Ashley; Robin and Simon and Jack and Chris all play a part here.

At some point, Ms Cohen, you GOTTA write about Sebastian and Anthony! I havne't read their stories in the Crofton Chronicles, but they do have a bit of a reputation here and I wanna see it in all it's glory!

Keep these coming, I'm loving these Dark Earls far more than their original books, and I loved most of them!

5 full and shiny stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere

[Manon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* rounded up

I really love this Modern Crafton re-telling with a paranormal twist. The books have to be read in order otherwise you really do not understand the interaction between the different characters and how it all fits in this world.

The author is very good in world building, the description are really amazing and she merges various paranormal characters together.

In this one you have Dorian, the Hollywood actor who is a client and former lover of Robin one of the main characters in the second book. Even in the Modern Crofton books I didn't really like Dorian a lot. It takes a huge amount of time for me to get to like him and here again he comes over quite the spoilt, ego driven actor. When meddling while being concerned about Robin, things promptly go wrong in quite a spectacular fashion.

Alex is a bit of a enigma. His background is more explained in the third book, so if you haven't read that you feel there was quite a lot missing and it doesn't help really to get to know him that well. Wen task was babysitting Dorian, he is not prepared to start liking him. Being stuck seems to have mellowed Dorian quite a lot so he starts to being more likable now.

I really like the interaction between the two of them but I just can't see them falling in love that fast. It feels like more a really really warm friendship which they develops when they are communicating at the end of the story.

Oh, not a bad story, but that of my favourites. I do hope we see a bit more of this words as I really enjoy the paranormal Crofton books.

[Suzanne Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dorian gets stuck as a dragon

Alex and Dorian are the latest couple to fall for each other in the Dark Earls series. This one has Alex, the Earls secretary falling for Dorian when Dorian gets stuck as a dragon at Crofton Hall. I like how Rebecca Cohen has set things up in this novel because there are getting to be fewer characters at Crofton Hall to match up. Dorian lives in Hollywood and only stays at the hall because he is under a spell. Because he is a dragon for much of the book the two guys spend a lot of time just talking and spending time together which allows for a slow pace, whereas if they had both been in human form they might not have realized how much they liked each other.
The slow pace is in no way boring especially because of all of the stuff going on around them. One of the things that I like most about this series is that even though each book is about a different couple the characters from other books are still around and involved in the story. As a result of the story there is very little except kissing and cuddles between the two main characters, definitely less than in the other books, but the heat level is dragon hot between them and is another terrific book to add to the series.

[Jeanette Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

When he was first mentioned in book one or two and we finally met Dorian, he was some randy Hollywood Heartbreaker type whom Robin Flint was having an off/on affair with. Even after aiding in the rescue of Prince Simon, he wasn't very likeable. With this book the dragon shifter faces up to the mistakes and hurts he caused. And yes, he was selfish. And a donkey. But no more so than Robin, whom I objected to on the basis of vampire politics. (And lets not forget his treatment of Gwil).
And who would have imagined that stiff, uptight Alex had a heart underneath all that snark? We get to see a softer (hah) side of the elf secretary. Alex is only unflappable on the outside, the proper secretary routine hides a sometimes shaky interior. When Dorian gets stuck in his dragon form, he does step up to help.
Two imperfectly, perfect men. With sizzle for days. As always, a book that I finished way to soon. Always want more. Will demon Karl be next?
I received an advanced copy of this ebook and this is my review.

[Alias11 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Rebecca Cohen's Crofton Hall in all its iterations -- historic, modern, and supernatural -- and the fantastic characters she has created. In the fourth Dark Earls book, we get more of the story of dragon shifter Dorian Marsten, who, for me, was not very likeable when I first read about him earlier in the series. Arrogant, self-important, maybe a little delusional regarding his relationships. When a bad decision leaves him trapped in his dragon form and stranded at Crofton Hall, he becomes the responsibility of the earl's elf secretary. Alex turned out to have a softer side I hadn't expected, and I enjoyed watching Dorian grow, and in a way mature, with his companionship. The changes in both men were heart-warming, and their love made me want to cheer. I really enjoy this series and look forward to the next Dark Earls book.

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

[Shana W · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's some interesting world building in this book, along with some fantastic characters. I appreciated the humour and the enthralling magic. I almost quit the book partway into it, because it did not immediately grab my interest and I disliked the dragon shifter Dorian at first. However, I persisted and Dorian thankfully morphed into someone I could care about. I found his elf boyfriend Alex likable from the beginning and I felt bad for their predicament. It went on a little long for me though, and I found myself reading until the end mostly to find out how Dorian would escape his plight and end up with Alex. The book had its entertaining moments and I enjoyed many of the scenes with previous protagonists.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jvles · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
As with the other books in this series I really liked the world-building and the colourful cast of characters. It's a unique view of the world and I enjoy that a lot. In this book I wasn't really happy with the two MCs. Alex seemed a little bland and we never really learn much more about him than surface-level stuff. Dorian was mostly annoying for the first half of the book but grew on me later on. Their romance arc was sweet and a little heartbreaking and I would have loved to follow their story a little longer and see them actually make a life together.
Despite those things I still enjoyed this book and will read the next one if there is one.

[L H · Rating 5 out of 5]

​I am really enjoying the Dark Earls series and it is fun to read these characters again in a different way. Dorian is in need of a reality check as he makes mistakes that have implications because of his hubris. In the end learns his lessons and grows because of it. Good things rarely come from bad decisions cloaked in well meaning behavior. It was also neat going along as Alex starts out lamenting his current situation and in the end falls in love with Dorian. They are so well suited for one another and it was neat seeing the growth in them both as they find real love and genuine joy with one another.
I received an ARC from GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Raven and Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would not have taken Alex for a soft hearted romantic, but it seems I was mistaken! I love the characters at Crofton Hall, both contemporary and dark supernatural. Dorian is one of those characters you don’t like much at first because he makes some poor decisions for some rather selfish reasons. He understands when he has messed up though and genuinely regrets it. Honestly, he and Alex are absolutely perfect for each other. I also enjoy still seeing all the familiar faces from Crofton Hall and beyond. Another great read in the series!

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore this series, retelling the Modern Crofton series with a paranormal twist, but if I'm honest I struggled a little with this one at the beginning. I found the prose a little off and if I'm honest, Dorian annoyed the hell out of me. However, once past the initial few chapters the characters felt more rounded, the dialogue less stilted and the story took off. I enjoyed it immensely especially Dorian once he was stuck in his dragon form and Alex was just such a sweetie. 3.75*

[Cynthia M Brow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interception is the 4th book in the Dark Earls series. In my opinion this series is best read in order. This is the story of Dorian a dragon shifter and Alex an elf. I loved the characters and world building that went into this book. The plot was interesting. I really enjoyed this book and hope we get more stories in this series. I would definitely recommend this book and series.
received a free review copy

[Ami · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Meh. The romance is inspiring. Especially sincethe first 1/4 of the books were spent with Dorian and Alex "separated" because Dorian was planning to "free Robin from his husband's influence" while Alex was preparing his boss' engagement party.

Then most of the book Dorian was also stuck as dragon. I had hopes with Jack's book last time, but this one was not a winner for me.

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

In many books, Dorian would be the villain of the piece and it was a tiny bit satisfactory to see his jealous meddling have some serious consequences. However, as the story progressed I wanted Alex and Dorian to get their HEA as much as they did. I'm really enjoying these darker takes on the Crofton saga and was absorbed in all the scheming going on around Alex, Dorian and all the characters here.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that Dorian gets his HEA and Alex deserves the devotion that Dorian is capable of. I can admit i had some reservations about Dorian since we first meet him earlier in the series as a bit of a want to be homewreaker. In this book we get to see his motivations and why he deserves a second chance.

[Deb Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic well written addition to this series that just seems to get better and better. Rebecca has created a fascinating paranormal world. Brilliant characters of which there are so many worth a mention! Overall a must read that can be read as a standalone though I highly recommend reading the previous books.
I received a free arc copy from GRR and this is my honest review

[Adoraboy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good read

[Dee Your TBR Wrecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books remain engaging and the creative use of reimagining other Crofton Hall stories into these is just so well done.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Start mar 11

Finally we get Dorian’s story. Definitely a bit questionable at the things he did in the beginning towards Robin, but understandable as he is in that bratty fashion. Like I get that he’s healing from his sudden heartbreak and like not knowing what to do, it’s like he just couldn’t see reason, which caused him some trouble.

Thankfully this downfall led to his HEA, and although it was a bit slow getting there, nevertheless I was engaged through it all. I’ve loved this whole series and am definitely looking forward to the next book.

Love all the cameos. It’s so good to catch up with the gang in book four, although if it’s been awhile since you’ve last read the other books, it might be a good idea to brush up on who is who.