Sunday, October 6, 2013

Review: Red Hot Dragon by Lolita Lopez @NetGalley


Red Hot Dragon by Lolita Lopez
Series: Dragon Heat #2
Publication date: October 1st, 2013
Pages: 128

Synopsis:
Griffin Cadogan is shocked to see Avani Monroe, sworn enemy of his dragon family, walk into his gym. With his mating phase soon approaching, Griffin is curious as to why she has to come to enemy territory knowing the risks. Not only does she surprise Griffin and his cousin, Mad, by coming to enemy territory, but what she wants is borderline insane--Griffin must help her have a baby.

After her mother's line was annihilated by the Knights, Avani accepted her duty to ensure the continuation of their unique dragon breed. She's searching the dragon registries and Griffin is the most likely candidate for her crazy plan. Working up the courage to approach a man who considers her an enemy wasn't easy but she manages to calmly lay out her carefully orchestrated plan.

But Griffin isn't about to agree to her harsh terms. If she wants him to father her child, he intends to play an active role in his offspring's life, not simply walk away as she requires. Shocked by her instant attraction to him, she agrees to his terms. Once together, they realize their connection is about more than creating a child, but that happiness is short-lived when Mad suddenly disappears. Knowing the dragon slayers are behind it, Griffin must risk it all to save the ones he loves.


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Review:
I received an e-copy of this book from the publishers at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So, I read the first book in the series (also a review copy provided by NetGalley) and I was less than impressed with it. In fact, I was a little upset with how shaky the story line was and how quickly it concluded. Undeterred I still decided to read the second book in the series, hoping more dragon related material was discussed so I could gain further knowledge of the world being created. I hoped that the first book was simply a first project snafu and the second book would be much better.

In the second installment in the Dragon Heat series, the story focuses on Griffin, another Brotherhood member. He is content in his life as an owner of a gym and fighting the evil dragon slayers in his off time. Then his world his shaken to it's core once Avani enters with her cool and collected attitude and floors him with asking him to father her child.

Avani, being the last of the naga serpent dragons, wishes to breed with Griffin because his bloodline contains traits that would favor her producing a naga offspring. She believes that this mountain of a man would take no issue with planting his seed and walking away. She was sadly mistaken since one of Griffin's first stipulations is that he will be a part of the child's life and that is non-negotiable. Avani has no choice but to agree and hope she can change his mind later.

What both Griffin and Avani did not count on was that their dragon halves desired each other more than they would have guessed. That they would find themselves sorting through strong emotions and, dare we hope, love? All these muddled feelings are even more conflicted when Griffin must decide between protecting the woman he is developing feelings for or going after his cousin who has disappeared. Will Griffin choose the family he is trying to create or the family he already has had for centuries?

I was blown away by this book. It was so much better than the first book. There was romance, there was action, and there were dragon politics (much of which were lacking in the first book). It started well, toed the line of plausibility (if dragonshifters were real, of course), and concluded without me having a sputtering "what just happened" attack. I am anxious to get my hands on the next story which I hope with fingers crossed will be about Mad and Ivy. Way to brush off the less than stellar first project and deliver a much more well rounded addition to the series, Lolita!

Red Hot Dragon draws its readers back into the world of the dragonshifter Brotherhood and makes it virtually impossible for them to want to leave. Griffin and Avani are an odd pair that proves that love comes in all shapes and forms... even when one of those forms is a giant snake dragon.