Dragon Lover by Donna Grant
Dragon Kings series #5. Spin off of the Dark King series. Paranormal Dagon shifter romance novella. Technically can be read as a stand-alone but many names and situations are mentioned though not really relevant to this specific story.

Kendrick is a Dragon King. As a dragon shifter, he is patrolling and protecting a mountain range when an unseen enemy attacks. Kendrick fights to protect and follows the attacking enemy across the forbidden threshold. He finds himself in the land of elves which the dragons didn’t know existed. He finds they are fighting the same unseen enemy so he decides to stay to find out if the elves have more information that will help them both.
Esha is a Ranger of the elves. A warrior and protector. She has never seen a dragon before and realizes that if they collaborate, they may get further in defeating the enemy.

Kendrick and Esha establish a truce and go to the local leader with a plan. As they work together and get to know each other an attraction grows. Can a relationship exist between an elf and a dragon shifter?

A quick and “fated” romance with the odds against the couple. Of course, barriers and opposition must be considered.
I found Kendrick’s accent to be distracting since I read this story in the printed form. If I had listened to an audiobook, it would have been just his voice.
“I’d really like to know why we can no’.”
“I donna intend to.” “It doesna…”
I enjoyed the romance and the couple working together to beat the enemy both known and hidden.
Gripping and adventurous.

The 1001 Dark Nights stories are from the author’s world and only one piece of a whole.
My rating is for this short story alone and ignores the tendrils not fully explained or missing.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

This book is a quick read, but action packed. It is part of the Dragon Kings series, but enough backstory is explained that it can be read as a standalone.

Kendrick is a dragon king. Recently, there have been reports of dragons going missing. While on patrol, he encounters a strange entity that he follows to another kingdom. There he meets elf Ranger Esha, who was also tracking the entity. Kendrick proposes they work together. Although Esha feels it would be mutually beneficial to join forces, her sister Savita, a rune reader, disagrees and feels it would be too dangerous.

To make the situation more complicated is the undeniable attraction Kendrick and Esha feel for one another...

I should probably preface this by admitting this is my first ever Donna Grant, so I went into this book with zero backstory knowledge.

"Are you suggesting I walk around shirtless?"
"I'm saying I wouldn't mind."

My heart is so full of fuzzy feels! I am in love with the way the romance was developed in this one. Donna Grants focuses on the small interactions between Kendrick (MMC) and Esha (FMC) to build intimacy, showing how one would make a bid of connection, the other would respond to that, to which the first would often joyfully smile. It was so beautiful to read and it filled my heart with so much warmth. You could feel the intimacy between these two rise with each of these positively answered bids of connection, which made the entire relationship build up feel so natural, even though it was very fast paced (within 2-3 days). I think this is what made me fall in love with them, as they were falling in love with each other. This just goes to show you how strongly human beings react to bids of connection, as it even has its effect through written word!

"Can I come in?" she asked.
As if he would deny her. As if he could.

Anyway, moving on to my love of Kendrick's character, because I am absolutely smitten. I admired the way he carried himself with such grace and respect towards a people he thought was only a myth. He entered each interaction with the Elves in such a de-escalating way through showing respect and being truthful about his intent, all the while still being genuinely curious and wanting to learn more about these people. Also, the fact that he considers himself as equal to the elves even though he's way more powerful, and that he respects every choice and decision Esha makes, I loved that about him so much!

"He had known with their first kiss, but he hadn't admitted it until that moment. Esha was his mate."

This moment made my heart burst with love. It was the perfect moment to introduce the fated mates trope,. I can't elaborate without spoiling it, but let me re-iterate that the fact that he is so respectful of her, her wants and feelings, the boundaries she implicitly set... It made me love Kendrick even more.

Now concerning how standalone this book is - since that's what it claims - I must admit chapter one was a heavy one to take in. We get bombarded with information and I wasn't completely sure I had a good grip of the world and its characters. Thankfully, as Kendrick and Esha build intimacy by sharing about themselves and their people, we get spoonfed the necessary information in a way that makes it easy to grasp. So, yes, this is a very good standalone novel and I would even say a good introduction to the series as a whole. I can say I am a fan and will be reading more from this author.

The side characters were great (Dain was amazing), the intrigue was good, the world-building was decent, and the romance was swoonworthy AND fan-yourself-Kendrick-is-coming-out-of-the-lake-naked. An all around enjoyable read!

So, why only 4 stars? As much as I enjoyed reading this book, I think it might've benefitted from being a full length novel to fully wrap up the 'entity' storyline, which was left unfinished and not mentioned at the end of the book. I also would've loved to learn more about how the shift happens, since that is a major part of the shifter world building. And I felt cheated out of seeing their mating ceremony, which made me just a tiny bit sad...

**I read and reviewed an advanced reading copy, granted to me by the publisher through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

I can’t get enough of the Dragon Kings. Kendrick and Esha have amazing chemistry (not just because they’re fated mates). But the threat against all beings on Zora seems like an obstacle they can’t overcome. I was riveted from the very beginning. I love how each book brings us a little closer to discovering the threat while the Dragon Kings continue to find their mates. And what about the “person” who has been bringing babies to Zora for centuries? Same as the “entity”. So many questions!!
5 stars!!

The 1001 Dark Nights stories are always a treat. This one is from Donna Grant and it’s a novella from the Dragon King series It is a story on Zora, just like Dragon Eternal. Since I was just coming to terms with the fact that Erith has created Zora, I was curious about the people who live there. The Asavori are some of them. And they fear the Dragon Kings. So much, that even when one wanders into their territory to attack a strange and powerful being, they prefer the dragon king to leave. Kendrick has been tracking the strange creature, which causes havoc everywhere When he accidentally goes into the Asavori territory, he is met with hostility. But Kendrick is intrigued. By the people, their beliefs and their rangers. Especially Esha, one of the elite swords (wo) man, who is trained to protect her people. Although both Esha and Kendrick believe that pairing up with the enemy of your enemy has merit, the leaders of the Asavori don’t seem to agree. So Esha and Kendrick have to face an impossible choice: go against the leaders, risk a war and commit treason. Or: never see each other again…

What will Esha and Kendrick do? Find out for yourself in this wonderful story. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

I really enjoyed this book. Esha is a Sun Elf and a warrior for her people. Dragon King Kendrick is searching for an invisible foe who is attacking the dragons but finds Esha and her fellow warriors. Their story is a complex inventive one and such a good read!

Another brilliant read in this wonderful series that is the perfect blend of elf's magic and of course dragon shifters This is the story of `Kendrick he is the king of the Sienna dragons and while he has settled in his new home it isn't the home he left behind. Patrolling the mountains he comes across an enemy that he cannot see let alone kill he also meets Asavori Ranger, Esha a elf warrior who he knows instantly is his mate Soon they will have to team to try to take down the common enemy The one he just battled and she has tracked for a while Can they survive can he convince her she is the one for him and can they have a future You will have to read to see

In the ongoing saga of the Dark Kings (on Earth) and the Dragon Kings (on Zora), Dragon Lover introduces new elements to further complicate the relationships of the Dragons to the other residents of Zora. Separating the Dragons from the rest of planet Zora was meant to prevent a recurrence of what happened on Earth between the Dragons and the humans. Unfortunately, it seems to be bringing about other problems for the Dragons.

The romantic attraction between Kendrick and Esha develops believably. The question remains, what affect will their relationship have on the non-dragon residents of Zora? The novella ends with a glimpse of Merrill who feels abandoned at Stonemore and his frustrations at being separated from the other dragons. Nevertheless, he is determined to uncover Stonemore's many secrets.

Here's hoping that the next book in the Dragon Kings series will be about Merrill. He doesn't deserve what is happening to him. Then again, there's Henry who is mysteriously being drawn to Zora. Donna Grant keeps introducing more and more mystery into these series to keep her fans reading! I know, because I'm one of them!

A very addition to the dragon stories by Donna Grant. This one revolved around Kendrick (dragon) and Esha (an elf) They were on the planet Zora which looked like Earth. After the dragons living on earth became impossible, a goddess moved them here. They didn't kjnow elves also lived there. When a being is killing them, Kendrick accidently goes inlo Elf land to try and kill it. The story was exciting and fun to read. I look forward to the next addition to the series

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarly leaving a review

Donna Grant's Dragon Kings and Dark World series is iconic in the world of paranormal romance. She continues to keep the world alive with new angles and storylines after many many books. I loved Kendrick. He had a different kind of personality as Dragon Kings go - measured, kind, and very thoughtful. He doesn't have a tragic backstory - beyond the sad story of the Dragon Kings together. He is determined to find Merrill and the being that keeps attacking magical beings in Zora. That leads him to an encounter with Elves - a group that he didn't even know existed - and Esha a ranger charged with protecting her people. As with everything in the dark word, there is definitely more going on that what things seem.

This is a quick trip, novella length, into the Dark World and I was very much here for it! I loved the characters and am always amazed at the depth of character development Donna Grant is capable of in such a short time.

Overall I highly recommend - but maybe not as an entry point into the series.

I received this via NetGalley as an ARC, but these opinions are all my own.

Gotta love these dragon kings. When Kendrick is fighting the invisible wraith, a beautiful elf comes to assist him. Yes an elf complete with pointed ears and all. Read there story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

This is a good series to read. Action, magic, romance and intrigue. Interesting storyline with enough twists and turns to keep you turning the page.

Dragon Lover (Dragon Kings #5) by Donna Grant
We are back on Zora with Kendrick (Dragon King) and Esha (Elf-Asavori Ranger). They are both looking to end the invisible foe that is killing dragons and elfs. We make some new friends, catch up with old ones, there is angst, danger, evil, Merrill is still missing, some laugh, tears, love and steam to get us to a HEA. I am looking forward to the next book DRAGON ARISEN - with the return of Merrill.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Scary Page-turner Action-packed Romantic Unpredictable Entertaining Easy-to-read Steamy Great world building Witty Informative Wonderful characters Happily Ever After.

Kendrick is the king of the sienna dragons. He is on Zora and has patrolling the mountain area. When he is attacked by a creature that can't be seen or it seems it can't be killed either, he crosses the border. He meets a stunning woman with a sword and others with her.

Esha is a Ranger and an elf. She is one of the toughest and has been hunting the same creature Kendrick has. She has never seen a dragon and it takes a little bit for her to believe him. Her sister is a Reader, they read runes and now what's going to happen. Esha has decided to go and partner up with Kendrick to go after their common foe.

Kendrick and Esha set out and end up with an extra helper. Kendrick realizes Esha is his true mate but will Esha leave her life behind for Kendrick?

Excellent story. Dragons and elves. Action. A warrior who has worked her life for her position. A dragon who just wants his mate and to eliminate their foe.

1/5 stars! I was just confused from beginning to end. The names, the world-building, and the concept all lost me. I know this is a novella for a series but it also stated that it can be read as a standalone and I don't agree. Maybe fans of the series as a whole will enjoy this novella. For me, it was challenging to finish, despite it being a short read.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Dragon Kings, Fae, Elves of all kinds - all intertwined with intrigue, secrets, politics, and of course finding their true mate. Great series, also works as stand alone if you haven't read the others, and you will be hooked!