Heat by Donna Grant is book 12 in the "Dark Kings" series. This is the story of Nikolai and Esther.
This book can be a standalone book but some back story lines from previous books are showing in this book. Esther mind had been taking over by a Druid in a previous book and in this book she is looking to find out what happened during that missing time. Ester is a part of the M15 along with her brother Henry. So she is used to mystery and adventures but loosing that period of time is working on her. Esther goes to Nikolai for help with trace her steps back to get the answers that she needs.
Nikolai was an orphan who was found by Ulrik and he became a mentor to Nikolai. Nikolai and Ulrik become close as a family. But now in their present day Nikolai and Ulrik have become on different sides of a issue deal with humans. This conflict and the possibility of a fight is weighing heavily on Nikolai. Nikolai has a gift for drawing and telling a story of what had occurred at certain places, so when asked for help by Ester he quickly agreed. Nikolai has been drawn to Ester since he first met her and this would be a distraction that he needs to break from the worry of what is to come with Ulrik. Ester too has been attracted to Nikolai, but has been to absorbed in this issue with what had happened in her past....can these two find more than what they started to look out for?
This was another exciting story by Ms. Grant!

Heat was a riveting read, Donna Grant has a way of pulling you into her story and keeping you hooked. I enjoyed the world building in this book, I loved immersing myself in the author’s vivid and vibrant writing. Her characters are likeable and intriguing. I have not read (yet) the other books in the Dark Kings series, but I really enjoyed Nikolai and Esther’s story. They were great individually, but together their chemistry was off the charts. I loved seeing Nikolai, a Dragon King possessing immense magic abilities, falling hard for Esther, a mere mortal.

Esther is a spy from MI5 who has learned the hard way how easily her species could be swiped from the earth. The Druid has gotten into her mind and controls her. She is strong, determined and always puts on a brave face, but she feels trapped by the Druid. She needs Nikolai’s help to deal with the aftermath of the attack. Esther has no power or magic, but she is protected by Nikolai. Their intense connection allows him to see into her life. He will do everything in his power to remove the magic from her mind and set her free of the Druid’s control. I loved seeing Esther coming out of her shell and slowly gaining back control of her life.

Lots of tension, great pacing, and a mysterious quality that kept me eagerly turning the pages all add up to this being a thrilling read full of surprises and extraordinary characters.

Sooooooo, I kinda did a thing I don’t typically do...like ever.
I read a book that was apart of a series and I haven’t read the series.

*drops head and winces a little, then snaps head back up*

Well, I have read something of the series, but it was a novella, so I’m not all too sure it counts, but at least I know something about the world right?

Okay, maybe not, but let’s cut this part off for now and get to the nitty gritty. Despite not reading any other novels in the series, my curiosity was peaked by the whole recovery of memories issue with Esther and how a Dragon King could help her retrieve them, so I went against my own OCD and dove in and I really enjoyed their story. It was intriguing, sweet, smexy, filled with intrigue and had me wishing I’d started from the beginning, but also had me wanting to continue with it regardless because of that ending.

I had a great time getting to know Nikolai and Esther. Nikolai, for all the big and bad Dragon King that he is, is a quiet sort of soul. He observes more than anything, but has no problem making his opinion known when it’s important, and his magic is really, really cool. Esther, on the outside is calm, cool and collected, but that has more to do with her training and the fact that her mind was scrambled by a Druid. I loved her determination to hunt down the Druid in order to retrieve her memories, but also the fact that she didn’t go off the rails. She was logical in her pursuit and as the fog started to lift, I loved the bright and golden heart it revealed.

Their journey to their HEA was an interesting one considering the reason why Esther needed Nikolai’s help with retrieving her memories, there was no where for her to hide, but on the flip side, Nikolai was just as transparent so their mutual attraction built as they got to know each other on an emotionally intimate level. With all that was going on around them, the angst was kept to a minimum and I liked how their relationship evolved at a good pace.

As I said in the beginning, I haven’t read any of the other books in the series, so jumping head first into the 12th book in the series was definitely outside my norm. But, I will say that though I didn’t pick up on the little threads of connections between the characters, I never felt lost when it came to the main series arc. Ms. Grant did a great job of getting the reader caught up with all that was going on without it being a huge information dump and moving things forward. I really liked a lot of the secondary characters and with all that happened throughout the book and that ending, I’m thinking that I’ll be needing to keep an eye out for the next book because things look like they’re going to get even more interesting.

A steamy paranormal romance novel that is will not disappoint!

HEAT is scorching! Nikolai has always stood out to me in a good way. He was the quiet one and knowing his back story made him even more intriguing, he was torn but did what he thought was right for their race though it hurt him to turn against Ulrik. I always admired Esther for her strength and even more so as this story moved on. She needed to know everything that happened to her and why, so she could move on. But in the finding of herself, will she find an even bigger mystery that will have her questioning all she ever thought she knew?

There are many things that develop in this book that involves the Fae, Balladyn, Rhi, Druids, Mikkel and, of course, Ulrik and other Dragon Kings that those not familiar with this storyline might find it intimidating. But, author Donna Grant writes this series in a way that does make it easy to go with the flow, though you really will want to go back and pick up the others, because they are that good.

HEAT will give you gorgeous dragon shifters, a feisty woman who wants to find herself again, magic, mystery, love and steamy moments that will blow you away.

~ Annetta Sweetko, reviewing for Fresh Fiction

Complete review may be found at: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=64740

I've fallen in love with this series. Often I get bored and give up on a series when I start with the first book, but I've found that a great author can get you hooked later in the series causing you to read any new books and all the previous books. This is written wonderfully, I love how in every book the central plot is the focus for all the characters even through creating, establishing and modifying romantic relationships, and alliances. Of course dragons, magic, action and sex only add to my love of this series.

Ok so this is my first book from this author and well, though I started in the middle of this vast world and might be missing the back story (intro of Ester) and stories (of everyone else), it didn't detract from how big this world is and how different this love story is from others I've read so far.

Nikkolai is a dragon king who is helping Ester hunt down the druid that messed her up so much, she doesn't know who she is anymore. Through their journey, Ester discovers more about herself than she thought. And Nikkolai and Ester find their way to each other. And the plot thickens in this world... Now I think I want to read the series from the start now.

This is not a book with hot sex and dirty words and all. You don't need them all the time anyway to make a good story.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

Another fantasy novel in a long series with lots of characters with funnily-spelled names, everyone is working on different teams, and there is so much backstory one feels lost any time we aren't focused on the two main characters of this installment. When I was reading about Esther and Nikolai and their quest, I enjoyed the story. The rest of it was rather overly done and confusing.

First I have to admit I haven't read any other book in this series, so I obviously missed a lot. So, I would say read from the start and keep going. I'm guess that these books are like most series where each book focus one couple but each book builds on the previous and the couples have appearances in following books.

With that said, I may not have get all the background on the characters but this book alone showed me what a talented writer the write is. She has written a world that I can picture in my head with characters that are charismatic. I love the depth of this relationship and have to say this book had me hooked. If the rest of the series is anything like this, I will have to go back and absorb all the characters and see where the end will lead us. Excellently written.

Heat is such a mild word for the intensity and action of this story. Nicolai is dark, brooding, mysterious and the perfect gentlemen (when he feels like it.) Esther's amnesia is the source of irritation and confusion. But her determination and dedication to figuring out what happened is inspiring. Add murders, conspiracies, and complications to get a read that will draw you in from the very first page and leave you with wanting to re-read the entire series by the end.

The story is interesting and engaging, but there are also a lot of moving parts and characters of which you need to keep track. Not to mention, there are two main plots and a few minor ones to follow, so this is definitely a read that demands your full attention.

If you like sci-fi romances and have the time to sit down and get engrossed in a read I think you'll be happy with this one. The romance ends in a HEA, and then the epilogue is a teaser for the continuation of the series. If you don't want anything resembling a cliffhanger, skip the epilogue. It doesn't have anything to do with the two main characters in this first book.

On a side note, I don’t get how the title relates to the book, unless, I guess, it’s meant to refer to passion or a dragon’s fire.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Nikolai is a dragon shapeshifter who knows well the meaning of loss. Orphaned and raised to be a Dragon King, he never accepts defeat. Now, Nikolai prefers his solitude . . .until a beautiful, irresistible woman calls upon him for help—and Nikola’s whole word goes up in flames.

Ever since MI5 agent Esther woke to discover her mind taken over with magic, she feels like stranger to herself. She looks to a notorious dragon, one who has the power to help her find her memory. But as she and Nikolai come closer to discovering what really happened to her, a dangerous passion ignites between them. Can this lone Dragon King help the woman he’s grown to love to uncover the truth about her past—or will a deep and fiery danger tear them both apart?

Review:

I liked how this series gives an alternative world where dragons are hiding and fighting against their own and other dark forces to protect dragons and humanity. Her characters are interesting too. Nikolia and Esther have great chemistry and are both strong individuals who make a strong team. I have to say I liked reading about Nikolai's back story, it added a depth to his character. I liked how they both are attracted to each other, but have to go through some complications to get to their place where they can enjoy each other as a couple. Of course, the intimate scenes are very well written and quite steamy. There is lots of action in this story also. So many different ulterior motives and machinations going on also. This is where I say that you really should have read the other books in the series first because of the continuing storyline woven through the books in the series. If you do read as a stand alone I think this one is much more self contained. One other thing I would say is that because this is a continuing storyline not everything is wrapped up in the end of this story.
4Stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

Heat (Dark Kings, #12) by Donna Grant outstandingly lives up to the title and whoa!, the chemistry jumping from the pages is phenomenal. This has been a great series thus far and Heat only adds to the theme, building in intensity. This one just moved Blaze down from my favorite in the series. I love that the reader gets to revisit characters from other books that are intertwined with this world. Nikolai and Esther's story unfolds flawlessly without the male/female drama of I do but I don't. It's refreshing. I do recommend that this book not be your first read of the series because you do need more background before diving in, but once you're there, these Dragon Kings will never let you go! If you enjoyed any of the Dark Kings books, I highly recommend this because I think it's pivotal to what's coming. I can also recommend The Sons of Texas Series.

This is not a standalone book. I received an eARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and the blurb said nothing about this being book 12 in a series. Disappointing. Most of the book felt like wading through bits of backstory. Too many characters to keep track of. Too many reminders of things that happened in past books. I couldn't focus on this book's story arc and there wasn't much in the way of character development for me so I guess I needed those other 11 books to care about what happened in this one.

Esther is a former MI5 agent whose memory was messed with by a Druid. Esther then requests help from Nikolai, a hot Dragon King, to help her track down the Druid and recover her memories.

There are several story lines happening in this book. I had a hard time following along with parts because I haven't read any of the previous books.

I am glad I read this anyway. I also really liked the story line with the light and dark fae quite a bit, too. I want Rhi to reunite with her Dragon King. Whoever that may be. That alone is enough reason to start at the beginning and get all my questions answered. So, really, this book has made me want to read the whole series and that makes it a darn good book.

I received a copy from NetGalley, this is my review.

Loved it! 4.5 stars. Another great story in the series. Love these dragons! Terrific exciting well written plot with fabulous H/h. Ending sets up for next story.

Who is the smarty-pants who keeps picking up books that happen to take place in the middle of a series?

Yeah, so I’m the idiot. Sue me. Actually, please don’t. Anyhoo, I would have given this book all five stars if I wasn’t a bit lost as I read it. I got the overall gist, however, I definitely wouldn’t recommend this as a standalone. Although it seems each book tackles a new couple, the background story and stories of the other characters continue in-line with the main story. Sounds confusing? Well, it was… a bit. But I enjoyed myself far too much to nitpick.

Okay, so Nikolai, one of the Dragon Kings, goes on a mission with Esther, an MI5 agent and an ally, in order to help her find the druid who erased her memories. Along the way, their undeniable attraction gains momentum and becomes an unstoppable force. Luckily enough, neither of them were complaining. Amidst the love-making and overall love connection, these two came across some interesting facts and figures. Esther finds out some hard truths about herself, truths that could affect the world as they know it. There was a really amazing fight scene with the Dark Fae that I still can’t get out of my head. It was so exciting! However, we also gain some insight on the truth to what’s going on with Ulrik, Mikkel and the Druid.

For someone who hasn’t read any of the previous books, even I’m completely invested in finding out how things will end. Will the Dark and Light Fae ever unite? What will Rhi do about Balladyn? And just who is Con destined to be with? I have so many more questions, but you know what I’m going to do in the meantime while I wait for the next book, Torched to come out?

Oh hell to the yes I’ll be going back to the beginning. Although this wasn’t as erotic as I thought it would be (slight bummer), it was no less intense and I thought it was incredible. I loved the inner workings of the Dragon Kings, how the other creatures of myth walk around humans, and the idea of these strong and fierce men finding their mates. How can I resist this delectable concoction? How can you?

Release: Jan. 30, 2018 | Genre: Paranormal Romance - dragon shifter | POV: Multiple - 3rd person | Heat: 3 out of 5 | Book #12 of the Dark Kings series | Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks

I was offered an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review but unfortunately, I couldn't finish the book. As I began reading, while I as intrigued by the story and characters, the chapters kept interchanging between the main characters and others that were introduced before and I just couldn't get in to the story. I didn't know who I was supposed to know, and why things were happening and I got a bit frustrated. I would love to start he series from the beginning because the writing was solid and I do love dragon shifters, but for right now, this was a DNF for me.

This is the 12th book in this series and I recommend reading the previous books first (which I still need to finish). There's a lot going on in this book with the main story and several "side" stories but I actually enjoyed this as I feel like it makes the book very interesting and multi-dimensional. No spoilers so I'll just say how much I loved Nikolai and Esther together and that, after all they had been through, they really deserved their HEA.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.