What do you think?
Rate this book
Deadly Dragons Duet #1
The [Not] Cursed Dragon
I am a dragon who hates dragons.
The dragons murdered my family. The dragons stole me. The fae purchased me. My mates saved me.
My mates imprisoned me.
They think they're keeping me safe. They think they know what I need. What all delicate, feminine, gold dragons need. A comfortable den. A well-stocked pantry. Twenty children.
That's not what this gold dragon needs. This gold dragon needs blood. This gold dragon needs revenge.
The (Not) Cursed Dragon is book one of the Deadly Dragons Duet. It is a slow burn, reverse harem romance for readers 18+
TW: Flashbacks of abuse
The dragons murdered my family. The dragons stole me. The fae purchased me. My mates saved me.
My mates imprisoned me.
They think they're keeping me safe. They think they know what I need. What all delicate, feminine, gold dragons need. A comfortable den. A well-stocked pantry. Twenty children.
That's not what this gold dragon needs. This gold dragon needs blood. This gold dragon needs revenge.
The (Not) Cursed Dragon is book one of the Deadly Dragons Duet. It is a slow burn, reverse harem romance for readers 18+
TW: Flashbacks of abuse
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 2020
465 people are currently reading
1709 people want to read
About the author
Colette Rhodes
36 books1,797 followersColette Rhodes is a paranormal romance author from New Zealand. She loves to write about love in all its forms, and adores imperfect heroes and heroines who find perfection in each other. You’ll often find her trying to justify her degree by including ancient history and mythological influences in her work.
If she’s not writing, then you’re almost certain to find her reading—ideally with a cup of tea in hand and a scented candle burning to match the mood.
Keep up with Colette here:
Website: coletterhodes.com
Instagram: @coletterhodes_author
If she’s not writing, then you’re almost certain to find her reading—ideally with a cup of tea in hand and a scented candle burning to match the mood.
Keep up with Colette here:
Website: coletterhodes.com
Instagram: @coletterhodes_author
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
![Profile Image for Namera [The Literary Invertebrate].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1647896333i%2F31792110._UX200_CR0%2C96%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
March 9, 2021
⤅ Wow, I am STUNNED by how unique this is.
My history with Colette Rhodes books has been a little unusual. I started reading her newest release Gilded Mess, and enjoyed it so much that I went to check out her backlist without actually finishing GM first. This one caught my eye, because it sounds so bloody unusual. The heroine is a quiet, tortured, damaged soul with a core of steel, who was kept prisoner for 12 years and has just been freed by her five fated mates. They just want her to stay safe coddled at home, plus dragon shifter society is kind of sexist anyway. Meanwhile, she wants to kill the people responsible for her captivity.
I have literally never heard of a setup like this before in an RH, and I'm SO glad to announce that it was pulled off well. Shira is a deeply likeable heroine, whose strength and commitment to her ideals is something other authors could learn from. Her heroes were also all likeable - I really sympathised with their conflict between their instincts and Shira's wishes. They were commendably well differentiated, and I don't think I've seen this many heroes handled well since I read the Curse of the Gods series. Which is very high praise, considering those are my favourite RH books.
The writing is solid, though not as descriptive as I would have liked. World-building is probably the only area where the book is seriously lacking. We know there are dragons, goblins, and fae, and there are vague references to mermaids and things like that. But only by reading the connected series have I realised that this realm is supposed to be attached to the human one. More details definitely needed.
I also felt like if I'd thought more deeply about it, I could've poked some plot holes in the earlier part of the story. Shira has been enslaved for twelve years, but some of her mannerisms or things she showed familiarity with (e.g. her highly sophisticated language) struck me as faintly off. But I didn't want to think more deeply about it because I was enjoying the story too much.
This book had the appropriate level of steam, which is to say almost none, because she's just been released and is wholly focussed on her revenge. Kudos to the author for that.
My history with Colette Rhodes books has been a little unusual. I started reading her newest release Gilded Mess, and enjoyed it so much that I went to check out her backlist without actually finishing GM first. This one caught my eye, because it sounds so bloody unusual. The heroine is a quiet, tortured, damaged soul with a core of steel, who was kept prisoner for 12 years and has just been freed by her five fated mates. They just want her to stay safe coddled at home, plus dragon shifter society is kind of sexist anyway. Meanwhile, she wants to kill the people responsible for her captivity.
I have literally never heard of a setup like this before in an RH, and I'm SO glad to announce that it was pulled off well. Shira is a deeply likeable heroine, whose strength and commitment to her ideals is something other authors could learn from. Her heroes were also all likeable - I really sympathised with their conflict between their instincts and Shira's wishes. They were commendably well differentiated, and I don't think I've seen this many heroes handled well since I read the Curse of the Gods series. Which is very high praise, considering those are my favourite RH books.
The writing is solid, though not as descriptive as I would have liked. World-building is probably the only area where the book is seriously lacking. We know there are dragons, goblins, and fae, and there are vague references to mermaids and things like that. But only by reading the connected series have I realised that this realm is supposed to be attached to the human one. More details definitely needed.
I also felt like if I'd thought more deeply about it, I could've poked some plot holes in the earlier part of the story. Shira has been enslaved for twelve years, but some of her mannerisms or things she showed familiarity with (e.g. her highly sophisticated language) struck me as faintly off. But I didn't want to think more deeply about it because I was enjoying the story too much.
This book had the appropriate level of steam, which is to say almost none, because she's just been released and is wholly focussed on her revenge. Kudos to the author for that.
May 6, 2021
The beginning was okay, Shira is really strong but reckless and immature. Her harem was annoying, especially Ezra even though they were trying to
Protect her it was like she was their captive. After 50% it was dragged a lot, i skipped some of the pages cuz it was getting really boring. Shira wanted to take revenge on the ppl who killed her family but she literally ran away from her mates without any planning or weapon to kill those ppl. She was strong but really immature. Ofc she was 🙄 its like a trend going on where heroines are annoying.
Protect her it was like she was their captive. After 50% it was dragged a lot, i skipped some of the pages cuz it was getting really boring. Shira wanted to take revenge on the ppl who killed her family but she literally ran away from her mates without any planning or weapon to kill those ppl. She was strong but really immature. Ofc she was 🙄 its like a trend going on where heroines are annoying.
October 5, 2020
This book was a special treat!It has a amazing Paranormal world filled with all kind of creatures,especially beautiful dragons where all female dragons have five mates.In this one Shira has been the Fees captive for years and gets saved by her mates who all refuses to let her leave them for even a second.But Shira has no time for love,since the bloodthirst of revenge towards the dragons who killed her family are still burning fresh.
All of her mates are over-protective and very much smitten with her,but all of them have different personalities.Ezra is the black Alpha dragon amongst the five,Oren is the quiet blue dragon with a mind of steel,the golden hearted earth-green dragon Levi,the spoiled and hilarious silver-air dragon Hiram and the hot-tempered red-fire dragon Seff.All of the men complemented each other and came to love the badass and strong woman they realize Shira actually is.Oren is my favourite among the five..his way of rarely speaking made him so sexy to me and i just loved reading that one chapter from his POV.
SPOILERS!In the entire book Shira only kissed Oren.
All of her mates are over-protective and very much smitten with her,but all of them have different personalities.Ezra is the black Alpha dragon amongst the five,Oren is the quiet blue dragon with a mind of steel,the golden hearted earth-green dragon Levi,the spoiled and hilarious silver-air dragon Hiram and the hot-tempered red-fire dragon Seff.All of the men complemented each other and came to love the badass and strong woman they realize Shira actually is.Oren is my favourite among the five..his way of rarely speaking made him so sexy to me and i just loved reading that one chapter from his POV.
SPOILERS!In the entire book Shira only kissed Oren.
April 15, 2024
The amount of genuine RAGE this book made me feel is outrageous
December 29, 2020
This book had me hooked enough to want to know what the eff happened at the end without reading all the “filler” that it takes to get there. Im not going to lie- lots of skimming occurred here. I loved the mates... why was there not more of the mates?? The majority of this book was just inner dialogue and drawn out angst with no real pay off.
May 25, 2022
The (Not) Cursed Dragon is live and available in Kindle Unlimited!
April 5, 2023
I gave it 5 stars because it made me laugh. I really like Shira and her snark:
“The plan was to go full dragon and rip them all apart, possibly feast on their corpses and pick my teeth with their bones.”
She is murderous for good reason but is also very diplomatic in knowing that others won’t understand and so she is just going to go get it done on her own!
Her mates are clueless and I can appreciate her not just falling into their arms. It’s a very interesting story with Fae and Goblins, all working for the greater good 😂, getting rid of a Flight.
More highlights at another time- possibly.
“The plan was to go full dragon and rip them all apart, possibly feast on their corpses and pick my teeth with their bones.”
She is murderous for good reason but is also very diplomatic in knowing that others won’t understand and so she is just going to go get it done on her own!
Her mates are clueless and I can appreciate her not just falling into their arms. It’s a very interesting story with Fae and Goblins, all working for the greater good 😂, getting rid of a Flight.
More highlights at another time- possibly.
September 11, 2020
*ARC so kindly provided by the author*
This book is amazing, I couldn’t put it down, Colette Rhodes is becoming one of my favorite authors. I'm tired of reading books with weak female characters and that's one of the reasons why I love all the books from her, the principal characters on her books are always strong in their own way and I love it.
The (Not) Cursed Dragon is a spin-off of the Empath Found series however you don’t need to read that series to enjoy this book, but they complement each other really well so I recommend to check out those books if you haven’t read them yet (They are amazing too).
Just a warning that the book ends in a cliffhanger so if you hate cliffhangers and have some self-control wait for the second book to be released and read it all together, I’m DYING to read the second part but I don’t know if I could have waited even if I knew about the cliffhanging I just love her books so much.
Alert: There may be some spoilers ahead.
This is not your typical romance book, the main focus is not the romance between the characters, the main focus is Shira and her journey of self-discovery and finding out what she wants to do and be FREE to decide for herself. I love the fact that she does what she feels she needs to do, without letting her feelings/attraction for the guys mandate her actions.
“You’re denying me freedom, Ezra. Nothing else matters”
I love when she said that, because is such an important message, it does not matter how much you partner(s) love you or give you if you don’t have the freedom to be who you are, nothing else matter.
“Their supposed love for me wasn’t enough. If I wasn’t free to choose them, to choose this life alongside them, to choose to love them, it could never be enough”
So yes, this is a romance book with fantasy, dragons, and a whole different world, but is also so much more because it has a really important message about society and the expectations set on us since birth and more importantly how we have the power to change it.
This book is amazing, I couldn’t put it down, Colette Rhodes is becoming one of my favorite authors. I'm tired of reading books with weak female characters and that's one of the reasons why I love all the books from her, the principal characters on her books are always strong in their own way and I love it.
The (Not) Cursed Dragon is a spin-off of the Empath Found series however you don’t need to read that series to enjoy this book, but they complement each other really well so I recommend to check out those books if you haven’t read them yet (They are amazing too).
Just a warning that the book ends in a cliffhanger so if you hate cliffhangers and have some self-control wait for the second book to be released and read it all together, I’m DYING to read the second part but I don’t know if I could have waited even if I knew about the cliffhanging I just love her books so much.
Alert: There may be some spoilers ahead.
This is not your typical romance book, the main focus is not the romance between the characters, the main focus is Shira and her journey of self-discovery and finding out what she wants to do and be FREE to decide for herself. I love the fact that she does what she feels she needs to do, without letting her feelings/attraction for the guys mandate her actions.
“You’re denying me freedom, Ezra. Nothing else matters”
I love when she said that, because is such an important message, it does not matter how much you partner(s) love you or give you if you don’t have the freedom to be who you are, nothing else matter.
“Their supposed love for me wasn’t enough. If I wasn’t free to choose them, to choose this life alongside them, to choose to love them, it could never be enough”
So yes, this is a romance book with fantasy, dragons, and a whole different world, but is also so much more because it has a really important message about society and the expectations set on us since birth and more importantly how we have the power to change it.
December 3, 2020
I liked the resilience of the heroine. She broke the mold of what everyone expected of her and became more. It was admirable. The guys were iffy, didn't really enjoy any of them.
July 24, 2022
The sexy (and sexist jerks!) dragons, fated mates, reverse harem, revenge tale I didn't know I wanted. Ends on a cliffhanger, I downloaded the second book immediately. Time for the grovel and smashing the dragon patriarchy, plz!
September 30, 2022
I’m not normally a fan of RH, but this book has dragons and I love me some dragons. I loved the resilient h and her resolve not to be a prisoner to her harem. I loved the supporting characters and the world building. This one ends on a cliffhanger, but luckily the sequel is readily-available.
October 17, 2022
DNF at 26%
All she needed to do was TELL THEM what she wanted. Seriously would have cut through the stupid and been a much better revenge story.
I just couldn't.
All she needed to do was TELL THEM what she wanted. Seriously would have cut through the stupid and been a much better revenge story.
I just couldn't.
January 1, 2025
3.75
When I tell you that women carried this book, I MEAN IT. The men... well, they were there.
Actually, I did like some of them. I can't actually say their names because it would be a spoiler, but there were some I liked!!
Definitely the most annoying characters in this are Ezra and Hiram. Ezra is for obvious reasons: he's misogynistic and so stuck on his role that he can't find a way to be a great leader without being overbearingly commanding. Hiram is simply because he's a baby. The man was so coddled all his life that now he's a man-child who doesn't know how to not get whatever he wants, and who blames EVERYONE for things that he also has a responsibility on. He lashes out because he's stressed (which means he throws a temper tantrum when mommy wants him to take a shower when he's playing), he is excited over the threat of violence (basically when the kindergartens are rioting against the end of play time) and he doesn't know 😃 how to do 😃 anything 😃😃 (neither do most of the others, but that's irrelevant for this rant). So... yeah.
As much as I hate the dynamics of this book, I do feel like they were done well; the male characters are ridiculous, but they represent an issue that our society has stopped (not entirely, but mostly) following: >misogyny< and the fmc is totally aware of that. She questions the dynamic, she questions the characters. She's not sitting down and questioning herself. If she did, I would stop reading so fast.
BUT (and this is important) I feel like, as damaging as this situation was, she overreacted (??) a bit. I know Ezra is the big, bad alpha who doesn't listen to anyone and it's so overbearing. Even then, aside from the whole speaking-over-you thing, overprotectiveness and misogyny, he really wasn't that bad. He got longs way to go, but Shira was having nightmares of him letting her be abused because he slapped a table (understandable. I would be pissing my pants) once. I understand being more afraid of what he might do than the others, but COME ON. It really wasn't that serious. Misogyny and all that is definitely harming, but, girl, you were incarcerated for TWELVE years and your first jailors were the worst, so what do you meaaaaan he hurt you that bad (she meant that he hurt her more than the other, but still).
This could easily be a terrible book if it weren't for the self awareness. Shira was oblivious and not careful at all, but the other characters saw that. The situation wasn't great and SHIRA was aware of that... so, the story was great enough to give you the rage but to still be good. The problem will be if the next book only addresses the issues without taking action against them.
Overall, nice story. I want to read everything from this author and I expect that the next and final book is AMAZING because that ending pissed me off a bit 👍🏽👍🏽
When I tell you that women carried this book, I MEAN IT. The men... well, they were there.
Actually, I did like some of them. I can't actually say their names because it would be a spoiler, but there were some I liked!!
Definitely the most annoying characters in this are Ezra and Hiram. Ezra is for obvious reasons: he's misogynistic and so stuck on his role that he can't find a way to be a great leader without being overbearingly commanding. Hiram is simply because he's a baby. The man was so coddled all his life that now he's a man-child who doesn't know how to not get whatever he wants, and who blames EVERYONE for things that he also has a responsibility on. He lashes out because he's stressed (which means he throws a temper tantrum when mommy wants him to take a shower when he's playing), he is excited over the threat of violence (basically when the kindergartens are rioting against the end of play time) and he doesn't know 😃 how to do 😃 anything 😃😃 (neither do most of the others, but that's irrelevant for this rant). So... yeah.
As much as I hate the dynamics of this book, I do feel like they were done well; the male characters are ridiculous, but they represent an issue that our society has stopped (not entirely, but mostly) following: >misogyny< and the fmc is totally aware of that. She questions the dynamic, she questions the characters. She's not sitting down and questioning herself. If she did, I would stop reading so fast.
BUT (and this is important) I feel like, as damaging as this situation was, she overreacted (??) a bit. I know Ezra is the big, bad alpha who doesn't listen to anyone and it's so overbearing. Even then, aside from the whole speaking-over-you thing, overprotectiveness and misogyny, he really wasn't that bad. He got longs way to go, but Shira was having nightmares of him letting her be abused because he slapped a table (understandable. I would be pissing my pants) once. I understand being more afraid of what he might do than the others, but COME ON. It really wasn't that serious. Misogyny and all that is definitely harming, but, girl, you were incarcerated for TWELVE years and your first jailors were the worst, so what do you meaaaaan he hurt you that bad (she meant that he hurt her more than the other, but still).
This could easily be a terrible book if it weren't for the self awareness. Shira was oblivious and not careful at all, but the other characters saw that. The situation wasn't great and SHIRA was aware of that... so, the story was great enough to give you the rage but to still be good. The problem will be if the next book only addresses the issues without taking action against them.
Overall, nice story. I want to read everything from this author and I expect that the next and final book is AMAZING because that ending pissed me off a bit 👍🏽👍🏽
September 28, 2020
Revenge? ✓
A woman trying to reclaim her life? ✓
Fated Mates? ✓
Alpha-holes who need to learn to listen? ✓
DRAGONS?!?! ✓
What are you waiting for?
I first read one of Rhodes' books a few months ago when I stumbled upon her Empath Found series (highly recommend reading that one first), and I was excited to get to read Shira's story.
As the blurb shares, Shira is a dragon who is not a fan of dragons. She's been betrayed, kidnapped, abused, and finally, rescued. Now the hardest part of her story really begins because she has to learn how to take her life back, including surviving her revenge mission, figuring out how to shift into her dragon, and learning how to live with and accept the mates who desperately need a crash course in feminism (at least they mean well?).
Shira is my kinda dragon because she's got a steely spine that hasn't been tarnished by her years of captivity, and she's steadfast in doing what's necessary to give herself a chance to be free of the burdens of her past. She's got some room to grow from who she is in book one, and I'm really looking forward to seeing her taking back her power as a dragon, as a mate, and as an independent woman.
Now, her mates. Those poor, clueless mates. My god, these guys mess up. The dragons in Rhodes' world have some strongly defined expectations of what the genders' roles are within the den (their family home), and we're definitely seeing some growing pains when the males finally have Shira with them. One of the big things I liked about the way Rhodes is building the dragons' relationships (and how she does the fae's as well) is that mate bonds or not, there's an element of choice for these women. There might be some discomfort, but Shira is able to leave, is able to let her own feelings develop as she becomes more open to giving the men a chance.
That being said, because of the growing pains, there's no steam in this one. Honestly, that was totally fine with me. I was really focused on Shira's journey, and while the men are a part of that as a whole, I get why this first book was her focusing on doing what she needed to do, regardless of how the men might've tried to "protect" her from the big bad world around her.
Overall, I'm really finding myself very happy with each book that I dig into from Rhodes. The characters intrigue me, I like her world-building, and she has a good grasp of how much story to pack into one book (though I'm greedy and always want more no matter what). Definitely looking forward to book two!
A woman trying to reclaim her life? ✓
Fated Mates? ✓
Alpha-holes who need to learn to listen? ✓
DRAGONS?!?! ✓
What are you waiting for?
I first read one of Rhodes' books a few months ago when I stumbled upon her Empath Found series (highly recommend reading that one first), and I was excited to get to read Shira's story.
As the blurb shares, Shira is a dragon who is not a fan of dragons. She's been betrayed, kidnapped, abused, and finally, rescued. Now the hardest part of her story really begins because she has to learn how to take her life back, including surviving her revenge mission, figuring out how to shift into her dragon, and learning how to live with and accept the mates who desperately need a crash course in feminism (at least they mean well?).
Shira is my kinda dragon because she's got a steely spine that hasn't been tarnished by her years of captivity, and she's steadfast in doing what's necessary to give herself a chance to be free of the burdens of her past. She's got some room to grow from who she is in book one, and I'm really looking forward to seeing her taking back her power as a dragon, as a mate, and as an independent woman.
Now, her mates. Those poor, clueless mates. My god, these guys mess up. The dragons in Rhodes' world have some strongly defined expectations of what the genders' roles are within the den (their family home), and we're definitely seeing some growing pains when the males finally have Shira with them. One of the big things I liked about the way Rhodes is building the dragons' relationships (and how she does the fae's as well) is that mate bonds or not, there's an element of choice for these women. There might be some discomfort, but Shira is able to leave, is able to let her own feelings develop as she becomes more open to giving the men a chance.
That being said, because of the growing pains, there's no steam in this one. Honestly, that was totally fine with me. I was really focused on Shira's journey, and while the men are a part of that as a whole, I get why this first book was her focusing on doing what she needed to do, regardless of how the men might've tried to "protect" her from the big bad world around her.
Overall, I'm really finding myself very happy with each book that I dig into from Rhodes. The characters intrigue me, I like her world-building, and she has a good grasp of how much story to pack into one book (though I'm greedy and always want more no matter what). Definitely looking forward to book two!
March 20, 2023
I both enjoyed this book and HATED the world the author built.
This is a world set up to put women at a disadvantage way more than we are in our current world. Sure, it’s discussed as “maybe not all women want to be stuck in the kitchen”, but that’s the “natural” way of things in this world.
It’s similar to how she wrote the world in State of Grace.
Her mates are infuriating and I don’t know how they’ll get together.
I much prefer that a fantasy world be shown for more equity. But… I’m hooked and I’m going to read the next book.
This is a world set up to put women at a disadvantage way more than we are in our current world. Sure, it’s discussed as “maybe not all women want to be stuck in the kitchen”, but that’s the “natural” way of things in this world.
It’s similar to how she wrote the world in State of Grace.
Her mates are infuriating and I don’t know how they’ll get together.
I much prefer that a fantasy world be shown for more equity. But… I’m hooked and I’m going to read the next book.
September 11, 2020
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC for this book and my only complaint...
When can I get book two?!?
Loved this book.
While I love the authors first books I feel they are only getting better and better with each new thing she releases.
The story line is captivating and the main female character is sassy and takes no crap and I’m a big fan.
The end leaves you wanting more that’s for sure. I’m actually a little disappointed these character only get two books.
Can’t wait for more work from the author 🐉
When can I get book two?!?
Loved this book.
While I love the authors first books I feel they are only getting better and better with each new thing she releases.
The story line is captivating and the main female character is sassy and takes no crap and I’m a big fan.
The end leaves you wanting more that’s for sure. I’m actually a little disappointed these character only get two books.
Can’t wait for more work from the author 🐉
April 13, 2021
Coming from this author's Empath Found trilogy, I had higher expectations for this duet than I had for the trilogy. I had read reviews that this duet was written better and had a better story line than the trilogy so I was super excited. Unfortunately, I don't think this is better than the Empath Found trilogy. In fact, I had the same problem with this duet as I did with the earlier trilogy. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, I just think that like the Empath Found trilogy, this was just middle of the road.
Overall I think that if you liked the Empath Found trilogy enough to finish the whole thing, I think you will enjoy this duet.
Overall I think that if you liked the Empath Found trilogy enough to finish the whole thing, I think you will enjoy this duet.
April 20, 2021
What a read! Ever since I read Gilded Mess I have been on a Colette Rhodes book binge. This book features Shira, a golden dragon who has been enslaved for the last 12 years of her life. Once she is rescued by her mates, we are then introduced to the rest of her flight: Ezra (the alpha), Levi (the earth dragon), Oren (the water dragon), Hiram (the air dragon), and Seff (the fire dragon). Unbeknownst to Shira, these men have spent the last 6 months dreaming of rescuing her and making their nest a home. However, in the 12 years that Shira has been captive, she has been planning a way to enact revenge on those that killed her family and held her hostage. The conflict of interest from both our FMC and her harem was intense, and I loved that Shira stuck to her guns and refused to back down on her goals. However, that isn’t to say the Shira is absolved of any wrongdoing, because there were definitely a few parts in the book that had me rolling my eyes and voicing out loud “Really, Shira?” I was also frustrated that the latter half of the book focuses very heavily on Shira and not so much the men. Obviously this is because Shira is out trying to kill the dragons who harmed her, but I do wish that we had gotten to see some of the men more, perhaps if they had found her sooner we could have seen that.
Overall this book is very well written and I can’t wait to read the next book!
Overall this book is very well written and I can’t wait to read the next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2022
Hooked on
Oh I really liked this book! Another suited title could have been: "how to mess up with your mate in ten lessons"😂😂 The guys fucked up so much at the beginning of their relationship with Shira, it was appalling🤦🏻♀️
Shira has been imprisoned from the age of eight after witnessed the murder of her family. During these years she survived only to take her revenge. When her mates rescued her, they expected her to be the perfect sweet, innocent housewife that golden dragon should be but Shira dreamt only about freedom.
The topic of this book is very contemporary in my opinion. It speaks about the condition of women in the society and the prejudices about it. Shira is a kind of feminist and she will open the eyes of her stubborn alphah*ol guys. 😉
Oh I really liked this book! Another suited title could have been: "how to mess up with your mate in ten lessons"😂😂 The guys fucked up so much at the beginning of their relationship with Shira, it was appalling🤦🏻♀️
Shira has been imprisoned from the age of eight after witnessed the murder of her family. During these years she survived only to take her revenge. When her mates rescued her, they expected her to be the perfect sweet, innocent housewife that golden dragon should be but Shira dreamt only about freedom.
The topic of this book is very contemporary in my opinion. It speaks about the condition of women in the society and the prejudices about it. Shira is a kind of feminist and she will open the eyes of her stubborn alphah*ol guys. 😉
June 13, 2022
I read this duet back-to-back in the same day. Stuff gets muddled, so this review covers the duet as a whole. It will be copy/pasted for the review for Book 2 as well.
*sigh* This duet was so good. I thought I was in a bit of a rut. I was having a hard time finding something that interested me, and when I did, they didn't wow me. (It's been 7 books since I have had anything above 3 stars yall). But this... ooh it hit the spot.
I really like Shira, our fmc. She is a great balance of shitty background and strong backbone. She's been imprisoned/enslaved most of her life, and I like the play Colette Rhodes does with race bias and prejudice. Shira's fated mates finally break her out of her prison. Then, refreshingly, she's like, "Okay, thanks, bye - off to do my super important thing." Of course, the mates hates this! She's precious! Must be kept safe! Gag. Shira thinks gag too. And, y'know what? She doesn't fall in lust or love with them. At all. She resents them and busts outta there the first chance she gets! I cannot express how much I LOVE that she gets a decent part of the story to do her own thing, outside of the harem's influence. So, soooo often in these fated-mates, me-Tarzan-you-Jane harems, the males are super heavy handed and the women just get stuck. Not Shira!
Which also lends to the males because more complex, because they have to grovel and redeem themselves. It's a distinct learning process for them. Very much the "don't realize what you had until you lose it" type of thing. I also appreciate that in this world, there's no scenting, so the guys can't follow Shira immediately, not without help. It also gives us time to flesh their personalities out more, and sometimes 5 guys is too many and they don't feel distinct without feeling like caricatures. I didn't get overdone caricatures with them. While they aren't the MOST detailed (it's only a duet), I do think the guys are distinct enough. The colored dragon thing helps. Oren is my fav - something about the quiet, broody protector gets to me.
Beyond just our harem, the world is fairly well developed. This is, apparently, in the same world as Rhodes' other series, but I didn't feel confused at any point. The plots is heavy on politics, especially the Council, and Shira obviously cares deeply for gender expectations. There's some twists and turns with Shira's revenge subplot, the faes world, and nepotism. It works well - flowing enough to keep your interest without becoming overwhelming or boring. The side characters are interesting and help build up Shira's story and development, as well as the plot.
Smut.. Book 1 has nothing. At all. Maybe some flutterings. But I don't mind *shock* because, as mentioned earlier, it allows Shira her own time in the story. Book 2, however, has a decent amount of smut, and it's not horrible. Not mindblowing, only one menage scene, but steamy and fits with this harem, I think.
Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised to finally find something that kept my attention, was interesting and different, have enough steam and humor to lighten things up, and honestly no angst. I really curious to see what else Rhodes has already done, as I've only read the Goldilocks duet.
*sigh* This duet was so good. I thought I was in a bit of a rut. I was having a hard time finding something that interested me, and when I did, they didn't wow me. (It's been 7 books since I have had anything above 3 stars yall). But this... ooh it hit the spot.
I really like Shira, our fmc. She is a great balance of shitty background and strong backbone. She's been imprisoned/enslaved most of her life, and I like the play Colette Rhodes does with race bias and prejudice. Shira's fated mates finally break her out of her prison. Then, refreshingly, she's like, "Okay, thanks, bye - off to do my super important thing." Of course, the mates hates this! She's precious! Must be kept safe! Gag. Shira thinks gag too. And, y'know what? She doesn't fall in lust or love with them. At all. She resents them and busts outta there the first chance she gets! I cannot express how much I LOVE that she gets a decent part of the story to do her own thing, outside of the harem's influence. So, soooo often in these fated-mates, me-Tarzan-you-Jane harems, the males are super heavy handed and the women just get stuck. Not Shira!
Which also lends to the males because more complex, because they have to grovel and redeem themselves. It's a distinct learning process for them. Very much the "don't realize what you had until you lose it" type of thing. I also appreciate that in this world, there's no scenting, so the guys can't follow Shira immediately, not without help. It also gives us time to flesh their personalities out more, and sometimes 5 guys is too many and they don't feel distinct without feeling like caricatures. I didn't get overdone caricatures with them. While they aren't the MOST detailed (it's only a duet), I do think the guys are distinct enough. The colored dragon thing helps. Oren is my fav - something about the quiet, broody protector gets to me.
Beyond just our harem, the world is fairly well developed. This is, apparently, in the same world as Rhodes' other series, but I didn't feel confused at any point. The plots is heavy on politics, especially the Council, and Shira obviously cares deeply for gender expectations. There's some twists and turns with Shira's revenge subplot, the faes world, and nepotism. It works well - flowing enough to keep your interest without becoming overwhelming or boring. The side characters are interesting and help build up Shira's story and development, as well as the plot.
Smut.. Book 1 has nothing. At all. Maybe some flutterings. But I don't mind *shock* because, as mentioned earlier, it allows Shira her own time in the story. Book 2, however, has a decent amount of smut, and it's not horrible. Not mindblowing, only one menage scene, but steamy and fits with this harem, I think.
Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised to finally find something that kept my attention, was interesting and different, have enough steam and humor to lighten things up, and honestly no angst. I really curious to see what else Rhodes has already done, as I've only read the Goldilocks duet.
September 14, 2020
Big sigh... It was great to be back amongst these characters again.
While reading the empath series and the dragons appeared, I secretly hoped they would get their own story as there seemed so much to learn about them and so when I found out they were in fact getting their own books, I was pretty freaking happy!
This book didn't disappoint either. All the main dragons were great in their own right. It was nice to see Shira stand up for herself and go after what she wanted. All the guys were also nice to read as they were very different.
It was great to see Fi and her Men show up a couple of times as well. Another big sigh... Reading about them from the Dragons perspective was nice.
Even though knowing this story was going to finish on a cliff hanger, it had me gripping my kindle pretty tightly and reading this story in record time. I wasn't disappointed AT ALL. Bring on book 2!!
Colette has created another wonderful world to get lost in with such amazing characters. Her writing creates such a vivid picture of not only the characters but their surroundings that you can't help but be invested.
Very lucky to receive this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.
While reading the empath series and the dragons appeared, I secretly hoped they would get their own story as there seemed so much to learn about them and so when I found out they were in fact getting their own books, I was pretty freaking happy!
This book didn't disappoint either. All the main dragons were great in their own right. It was nice to see Shira stand up for herself and go after what she wanted. All the guys were also nice to read as they were very different.
It was great to see Fi and her Men show up a couple of times as well. Another big sigh... Reading about them from the Dragons perspective was nice.
Even though knowing this story was going to finish on a cliff hanger, it had me gripping my kindle pretty tightly and reading this story in record time. I wasn't disappointed AT ALL. Bring on book 2!!
Colette has created another wonderful world to get lost in with such amazing characters. Her writing creates such a vivid picture of not only the characters but their surroundings that you can't help but be invested.
Very lucky to receive this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review.
July 12, 2022
I am OBSESSED with Colette Rhode's books. She is so amazing at writing character development, well-formed romances, and interesting plots. I loved the whole concept of this book. You could tell the guys technically had Shira's best interests at heart, but were fumbling the bag majorly .
Shira was such a bad*ss. She definitely had an extremely hard life but was still pushing forward (towards her goal of revenge). She bided her time and went about it smartly which I really liked.
I recommend this duet 1000%
Shira was such a bad*ss. She definitely had an extremely hard life but was still pushing forward (towards her goal of revenge). She bided her time and went about it smartly which I really liked.
I recommend this duet 1000%
April 18, 2023
decent
This is a book centered around expectations, the good, the bad, the absurd - it’s a well done look, crafted around a plot that grows a touch thicker as more characters are introduced.
It is, however, a bit rough in places, loping along in staggering stops and starts. Fortunately, that moments are few.
MMMFMM, RH PRN. Slow burn / glacial if you expect action in the first book. We get a kiss, which is nice, but the author is respecting the characters trauma by not introducing it too soon.
This is a book centered around expectations, the good, the bad, the absurd - it’s a well done look, crafted around a plot that grows a touch thicker as more characters are introduced.
It is, however, a bit rough in places, loping along in staggering stops and starts. Fortunately, that moments are few.
MMMFMM, RH PRN. Slow burn / glacial if you expect action in the first book. We get a kiss, which is nice, but the author is respecting the characters trauma by not introducing it too soon.
November 18, 2024
3.5 / 5.0
Better than I was expecting but that cliffhanger at the end was brutal.
There is some good angst at around 40%, and the story is not hard to grasp, but I think I am missing previous books. I felt dropped into the middle of something that was relying on previous world-building and character introductions to help carry this story.
I’m going to read the next one because it’s available and I want to know the ending, but it’s no great piece of RH romantasy.
Until Next Time,
MC
Better than I was expecting but that cliffhanger at the end was brutal.
There is some good angst at around 40%, and the story is not hard to grasp, but I think I am missing previous books. I felt dropped into the middle of something that was relying on previous world-building and character introductions to help carry this story.
I’m going to read the next one because it’s available and I want to know the ending, but it’s no great piece of RH romantasy.
Until Next Time,
MC
November 2, 2024
2.5⭐ i wanted more from the story. didnt like ezra one bit. but im optimistic about the sequel
September 18, 2022
Great slowburn ig
September 10, 2020
4.5 rounded up to 5 stars- i loved it!
AHHHHHHHHHH
collette why do you always do this to me??
this book was AMAZING, of course, but honestly i didn’t expect anything less. this fantastic woman has quickly become one of my favorite 1 click authors for several reasons- the main one being how much effort and thought is put into her characters and world building. there are so many details woven into the story that really enhances your experience but also doesn’t feel like she’s cramming them down your throat. it’s all very natural and the story flow is amazing. she is a master at showing, not telling, which is honestly a problem a lot of authors have in this genre.
I’m not going to lie, this book was not at all what i was expecting and i love the author for that. this is so different from her other works but still sucked me in and held me hostage until the last page- and even further, i mean, i finished this days ago and I AM STILL HAVING SO MANY FEELINGS RIGHT NOW. this is like the 3rd time i’ve changed my review 😆
Moving onto the actual plot of the book, i want to take a moment and recognize how strong of an FMC Shira is. she has been through some horrible stuff and still stays true to herself and hasn’t lost her backbone. I was so upset about the way the guys treated her and honestly they annoyed the eff out of me, but that was the whole point. And they were way less clueless by the end which i appreciated 😆 that being said, i totally loved Oren. he was such a real character and definitely way smarter and observant than people gave him credit for.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book and can’t wait to see what happens next. Big thanks to the author for giving in and writing their story for us! 😉❤️
AHHHHHHHHHH
collette why do you always do this to me??
this book was AMAZING, of course, but honestly i didn’t expect anything less. this fantastic woman has quickly become one of my favorite 1 click authors for several reasons- the main one being how much effort and thought is put into her characters and world building. there are so many details woven into the story that really enhances your experience but also doesn’t feel like she’s cramming them down your throat. it’s all very natural and the story flow is amazing. she is a master at showing, not telling, which is honestly a problem a lot of authors have in this genre.
I’m not going to lie, this book was not at all what i was expecting and i love the author for that. this is so different from her other works but still sucked me in and held me hostage until the last page- and even further, i mean, i finished this days ago and I AM STILL HAVING SO MANY FEELINGS RIGHT NOW. this is like the 3rd time i’ve changed my review 😆
Moving onto the actual plot of the book, i want to take a moment and recognize how strong of an FMC Shira is. she has been through some horrible stuff and still stays true to herself and hasn’t lost her backbone. I was so upset about the way the guys treated her and honestly they annoyed the eff out of me, but that was the whole point. And they were way less clueless by the end which i appreciated 😆 that being said, i totally loved Oren. he was such a real character and definitely way smarter and observant than people gave him credit for.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book and can’t wait to see what happens next. Big thanks to the author for giving in and writing their story for us! 😉❤️
November 13, 2020
I enjoyed the book for what it was- a very slow burn (as in nonexistent in this book) romance. This book shows a woman who has been abused and beaten down and underestimated. She gathers the courage to stand up for herself and avenge those who hurt her.
Don't go into this book thinking you will find an amazing love story bc that isn't here even though it says it is a romance. I believe we will find the romance towards the end of book #2 and I can't wait for them to find each other and build the trust and understanding they need.
Wonderful world. I would be happy to read more from this author.
Don't go into this book thinking you will find an amazing love story bc that isn't here even though it says it is a romance. I believe we will find the romance towards the end of book #2 and I can't wait for them to find each other and build the trust and understanding they need.
Wonderful world. I would be happy to read more from this author.
April 19, 2022
At 30% and this is slow moving. Author is relying on stereotypes for each MMC rather than actually giving them personality. I also don’t get the FMC’s motivation. She seems pretty chill for having been held captive for years and not explaining that her family is dead is a super weird thing to do. It’s clearly setting up for some kind of reveal/miscommunication but I’m not sure I can power through to finish it.
Finished it. Ehh. It ends on a cliff hanger but I’m not sure I care to continue.
Finished it. Ehh. It ends on a cliff hanger but I’m not sure I care to continue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2023
2.75 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews