He claims I'm his MATE...but I'm not the housekeeper's daughter anymore.
My name is Lana Rodriguez and I am DONE with dragons.

Especially my childhood friend, rich boy Lucas Randall, who claims I’m his mate.

So what if he’s more than six feet of stupefying ripped muscle and bedroom-I-know-you-Lana eyes.

I’m not the housekeeper’s daughter anymore.

No Randall is going to dictate my life again.

Not even if every atom in my messed up body wants him.

I’ve got secrets he can’t ever find out.

To mate the dragon is to condemn him to death. Lucas doesn’t know what I am. But he will if he’s around me much longer.

I won’t let that happen.

Because I’m a monster now too.

Note: This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real life dragon shifter billionaires or anything else else is purely coincidental. Hot sexy times included.

Lana Rodriguez is done with dragons, especially Lucas Randall and in this delightfully exciting story readers will discover whether Lana is really his mate and whether or not she can stay away.

This fast paced story flows smoothly throughout as it draws readers in and holds them hostage throughout with strong, captivating characters, red hot passion, thrilling danger and adrenaline pumping excitement. Lana and Lucas are convincing in their relationship as they pursue their respective goals but really the chemistry between these two sizzle and has sparks flying in all directions that they can’t deny the attraction. The evil that they pursue wreaks havoc with thrilling and malicious events that keeps readers biting their nails in horror and anticipation and with the surprising twists that it throws in this couple’s face, there is definitely a never moment. Although, it may have been better if the story had been longer and the plot and romance fleshed out a bit more, I was completely caught up in the story from the very beginning.

Add Belonging to the Dragon to your shelves at:

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41452640-belonging-to-the-dragon

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/belonging-to-the-dragon-lick-of-fire-dragon-lovers-book-2-by-kara-lockharte

Belonging to the Dragon is the 2nd book in the Dragon Lovers series

Goodreads - https://www.karalockharte.com/books-by-kara-lockharte/lick-of-fire/

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GT5Z4FB?ref=series_rw_dp_labf

which includes

1 Betrothed to the Dragon
2 Belonging to the Dragon
3 Bonded to the Dragon (coming Nov 20, 2018)

Dragon Lover series is part of the multi author Lick of Fire series.

https://lickoffire.com/

in ebook at:

Amazon - https://amzn.to/2PaASoa

Kara Lockharte is the author of the Lick of Fire - Dragon Lovers series and the Space Shifter Chronicles. She loves writing romances with sexy alpha alien shifters and strong heroines. She doesn't really like writing bios about herself because she can't think of anything clever or funny to say.

Though she can think of something her 4 year old said to her today which was:

"Mom, there's something funny about summer camp." (Upon going to half-day summer camp for the first time this year.)

"What's that?"

"You don't actually go camping in summer camp. Did you know that?"

"Umm..."

Ok, it was a lot funnier and cuter when the 4-year-old said it. But it's late because she's been working on this website since the kids went to bed and she has to get up stupid-early. The thing she has learned about really young kids is: they wake up stupid-early and expect you to feed them.

Kara and her family live on Planet Earth.

Website - http://www.karalockharte.com/

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14438486.Kara_Lockharte

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kara-lockharte

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/karalockharte/?ref=br_rs

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/karalockharte

BookLikes - http://booklikes.com/kara-lockharte/author,5044462

Can two damaged men build a future together from the shattered pieces of their lives? 

Gianni Dombruso’s life was altered forever at the age of four, when his parents were murdered and he and his brothers went to live with their grandmother, the irrepressible Nana Dombruso. Now almost thirty, Gianni has spent his life bouncing from relationship to relationship, seeking but never finding the security and stability he so desperately craves. 

Alexzander Tillane was one of the biggest pop stars in the world when he walked away from it all in the middle of a concert in 2002. Almost destroyed by the pressure of fame, Zan retreated to a life of quiet solitude in an effort to heal. But the cure backfired, leaving him with more issues than answers.

Zan knows he can’t give Gianni the stability he’s looking for, not with all his problems. He can’t even imagine why the beautiful younger man would want to get involved with someone so damaged, but the heat between them can’t be ignored. Giving in to it could be a huge mistake. Or maybe both men might end up right where they belong.

Review

I love this series as an all together fest of crazy and sweet with nice character development.

The plots are always bit much. Here, there is a really lack of communication in the start of the attractions. Its silly.

However, Zander and Gianni together are great once they get together. We get all the couple time I crave. I love that Zander is another hero's in the father and I love the discussion of attraction to older men.

The cast and setting are as always for me, a real good time.

PS And yes it is super silly that so many men in Gianni's family are gay or bi.

I write this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team (authors, check here if you want to get your book reviewed) and thank her and the author for the ARC copy of the book, which I freely chose to review.

I occasionally read romance novels although I am not their number one fan, but there was something about this book that called my attention from the very beginning. I am always attracted towards stories that are set in special locations (real or imagined) and the description of the island definitely fitted the bill for me. And, in this case, first impressions were right.  I loved the story and the place, and I wish it existed and I could be a part of the community in Little Sister.

The story is narrated in the third person from the point of view of two female characters, Kathleen, who returns to Little Island as an adult (after a traumatic breakup with her on-and-off girlfriend of 14 years), and goes to live to the house of her recently deceased grandmother (although she had not been back there since she was a child due to a very traumatic event), and Molly, the island’s sheriff, and also a handywoman, who loves restoring and repairing boats, but can set her hand at anything that needs repairing (even a broken heart). Although they are suspicious of each other at first, it is clear that they are meant for each other, but, as we all know, the path of true love never does run smooth, and there are a number of obstacles on their way, some of their own making, but others to do with childhood trauma, dysfunctional family relationships, and a past that refuses to be buried. If you are a big fan of romances, LGBT or otherwise, you do not need to worry. Although I won’t discuss the ending to avoid spoilers; I think you’ll be happy with it.

The author creates realistic characters we care for, and not only the protagonists. While Kathleen and Molly can be stubborn and blind at times (and even annoying, but ultimately likeable), there is a full catalogue of fabulous secondary characters, including Molly’s family (her wonderful parents, and her brothers, including Aidan, who is an integral part of the incident that made everything change for Kathleen), sisters Olivia and Louisa (who always carry the ashes of their father with them), Rebecca, the librarian and depository of the island’s traditions, and many more. Oh, and let’s not forget Blossom, a stray dog adopted by Kathleen (well, the adoption is mutual), that is both a totally realistic dog and a fantastic and heart-warming character.

There is lovely food, a variety of ceremonies and traditions, a strong sense of community [including matrilineal heritage that reminded me of the book The Kingdom of Women by Choo Wai Hong (you can read my review here)], secrets, deception, ecology and renewable energy, and plenty of love, not only between the two women, but between all the members of the community. The sense of belonging and the healing and growth of the characters is intrinsically linked to the way of life in this island that mixes Irish folklore and beliefs with Native-American (First Ones) ones. Werlinger creates a beautiful setting, both in its landscape and spirituality. Readers feel a part of this wonderful community, and I, for one, was sorry to come to the end of the book and would love to live in such a place.

The writing ebbs and flows, allowing readers to enjoy the descriptions of the island, its inhabitants, their actions and also their mental processes, although I did not find it slow and I was hooked to the story and the feeling of becoming one with the inhabitants of the place. As a writer, I easily empathised with Kathleen, who is an editor and also creates book covers, and I enjoyed the fact that female and male characters are diverse, are not restricted to standard gender roles, and the attitude of the islanders towards same-sex love is open and unquestioning. There are certain necessary characteristics that make a relationship truly compatible, but gender is not one of them.

As readers, we share the thoughts and experiences of the main characters although the third person narration also gives us enough distance to be able to make our own minds up. There are some surprises, some quasi-magical elements, some light and fun moments, but there are also nasty characters (although these are always outsiders), and intuition and family connections are very important. As for the love story, there are some sexual elements, but not a full-blown graphic description of events, and I found it rather delicate and in good taste (and I am not a fan of erotica).

I wanted to share a few things I highlighted:

Normally, those messages would have torn at Kathleen’s heart. But she wasn’t sure she had a hart any longer. She tapped her chest, half expecting it to sound hollow, like the Tin Man.

“It should be a mix. None of us is just one thing, complete in and of ourselves. We are the island, and the island is us.”

“That is not how it works. Love that has to be deserved or earned was never love to begin with.”

A joyful read, which I recommend to readers who enjoy books set in special locations, who appreciate a strong sense of community and belonging, and love solid characters. There are ups and downs, happy and sad events, although it is not a book for lovers of adventures and frantically paced novels. This is a contemplative and inspiring book, heart-warming and positive. If you need a pick-me-up, this is your book.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Penguin Random House UK, Ebury Publishing for providing me with an ARC copy of this book that I voluntarily chose to read and review.

I don’t read many inspirational books so I cannot share a deep analysis of how original the book might be or where it sits in regards to the topic. The book covers a variety of subjects, and it is classed under psychology and health, philosophy and self-help, and I agree it does touch on all those.

I’m a psychiatrist and I must admit I have never studied Positive Psychology as part of my degree but this book doesn’t require an in-depth knowledge of any of the disciplines to benefit from it.

The author opens the book by introducing herself, her background, and questioning the current focus on happiness. Is happiness sufficient to lead a satisfying life? She goes on to discuss many of the studies that show that having a sense of meaning can make a big difference to the outcomes of people at a time of crisis, be it a life-threatening illness or students going through exams, and grounds the readers in the subject. She uses one of the pillars she identifies as important to creating meaning, story-telling, to hook the readers into the topic of the book. If somebody came to you and asked you to give him (her) a reason not to kill him/herself, what would you say? That’s what happened to Will Durant and what set him off asking his colleagues and trying to understand what brings meaning to people’s lives. From there, and using positive psychology, Emily Esfahani Smith, defines the four pillars that bring meaning to people’s lives: belonging, purpose, story-telling and transcendence. The author illustrates each one of these topics with individual stories that help make the points more accessible. We have a young man who was only interested in money, became a drug dealer, and when he went to prison discovered his lifestyle was literally killing him. There he changed his habits and ended up not only becoming fit but also helping others to become healthier. We have a woman who loves animals and finds her purpose in looking after the animals in the zoo, ensuring their lives can be interesting there too. I learned about dream directors who help young people find purpose and meaning; I read about projects that help people in the final stages of life to find a purpose, other projects that help individuals tell their stories and record their experiences, groups that bring people who’ve lost somebody together… The author achieves this and more, all the while providing sources for her findings and reminders of how the issues discussed relate to philosophers and historical figures past and current. We might discover belonging by joining a society that enacts battles or find transcendence walking in nature or attending a special service at church. Ultimately, this is not a prescriptive book, and the process of discovery of meaning is an individual one.

I loved the stories, which go from individual experiences to projects that have grown and become important to many people, and the theoretical reflections that underpin the concepts, which are clearly explained and will also encourage readers new to the topic to explore further. The author succeeds in preserving the unique voices of the people whose experiences she shares and her own writing is seamlessly and beautifully achieved.  The book made me think and rethink life and its priorities and I suspect it will have a similar effect on many people.

A book on an important topic, written in an easily-accessible manner, illuminating and inspiring. Although I read it quickly for the review, this is a book that can be savoured and returned to as needed, and it will provide new discoveries and insights with every new reading.

A final note: Although the book appears quite long, the notes at the end occupy a 33% of the e-book (although they are easily accessible) and it does not feel like a long read.

Stellaluna is a wonderful story about a young bat that gets separated from it's mother and eventually finds her way back home. While Stellaluna is lost, she is being raised by birds who teach her how to sit upright during the day, even though she is nocturnal and not like them. Stellaluna, however finds her way back home. Stellaluna maintains a strong relationship with the birds even though she is very different from them. This book teaches the importance of family connections and individuality. This would be a wonderful book to do with a comprehension activity and maybe even sequencing within a third grade classroom.