Dragonhart offers an interesting world and a solid storyline, but the characters didn’t quite shine for me. While the world-building was well-done, the character development felt a bit flat, making it harder to fully connect. The romance element was also quite underplayed. Overall, an okay fantasy read, but it didn’t leave a strong impression.

I am always sold on a book with dragons!

I really enjoyed the story itself. It’s different to a lot I’ve read in this genre, though the backstory is one I’ve seen before, and it kept my attention easily once I got into it.

I liked the FMC more than I thought I would, and I really liked her skepticism around things that are often plainly accepted as part of fantasy. She does come off a little childish and one-dimensional, which I think is reinforced by the repetition of her traits and skills throughout, and gets a little frustrating. But she is only 18 - I don’t know anyone that wasn’t a little childish at that age, so it might be that I’m just too old. I loved the world it’s set in, the side characters and the dragons - though I would have liked to have seen more of all of them.

I found the ending a little disappointing and the romance a little predictable - maybe it’s just because I’m used to reading series long stories with cliffhangers at the end of every book, but I found it all wrapped up a little too neatly considering the amount of loose ends that felt like they still needed to be tied up. I also found the twists predictable - but only because I picked up on the hints earlier in the book which made them a little too obvious.

I found the book well-written generally. It was easy to read, though a little repetitive or over-explained at points, and a little more in the style of YA than I usually like. It took me a little while to get into, though I am glad I pushed through. I did find the writing to be much better than a lot of ‘romantasy’ I’ve read so far. I didn’t find myself pulled out of the story constantly or cringing while I was reading, which honestly made a refreshing change!

Overall, a solid 3 stars - there are some niggles I have that come down to personal preference, and probably being older than the target audience, but I really did enjoy the story and would definitely read more books in this series if there were any. I think, had I been closer to the age of the FMC, I would have been obsessed with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and One More Chapter for my copy!

DNF @36%

I was going to try to finish this, but I can't. The main character is childish and annoying and too quick to violence. I don't think the dual perspective was necessary either.

A Magical and Gripping Fantasy Adventure ★★★★

Abbie Eaton’s Dragon Hart is a spellbinding fantasy that sweeps readers into a world of destiny, magic, and heart-pounding adventure. With its richly woven storytelling and a heroine whose fate is written in her blood, this book is a must-read for fans of epic fantasy.

Eaton’s writing is immersive, drawing you into a beautifully crafted world filled with mythical elements and strong character development. The protagonist is both relatable and courageous, making her journey all the more compelling. The themes of self-discovery, fate, and resilience are explored in a way that keeps you hooked from beginning to end.

The novel’s pacing is engaging, though there are moments where the world-building slightly overshadows the action. However, the intricate details add depth to the story, making it a rewarding read for those who love rich lore.

With its official release on April 18, Dragon Hart is a fantasy adventure that should not be missed. If you love stories brimming with magic, destiny, and fierce heroines, this book deserves a spot on your reading list!

From the beginning I felt the characters lacked depth, especially our FMC. I really wanted to love her, but she was just soooo argumentative and I felt like she had a backstory that I’ve read 1,000 times before.

I did really love the forced proximity and enemies to lovers vibes!! That’s where I’m giving this 3 stars. I felt like these characters were true enemies from the beginning, and I enjoyed their journey to love.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and the author for this ARC!!

''𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘐'𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶.''
°˖➴ 🗡️🏹🖤 ''𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭'' ARC review! ⋆ˎˊ˗
A solid 3 ⭐️ stars - Dragonhart is a promising romantasy debut, but I didn't feel the connection between the two love interests, Arla and Hark, and the story has a few plot holes. I wanted to like this one so badly! There were definitely things that I enjoyed about the book, but I found myself struggling to connect with the characters, the somewhat YA-style writing, and the world the story is set in which feels still somewhat underdeveloped.

'𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐'𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰.' 𝘈𝘳𝘭𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘱𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘸, 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. '𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦.'

The story follows Arla Reinhart, the king’s assassin, who is compelled to work alongside Hark Stappen, an ambassador from the kingdom responsible for her family’s tragic fate. Their uneasy alliance, marked by constant arguing and banter, takes them on a journey filled with shocking revelations that challenge Arla's long-held beliefs.

I came very close to not finishing this book multiple times. At the beginning, it had too many similarities to Throne of Glass to me, which made it difficult for me to process that I was reading a different book 😅. I mean, I get it that you can take inspiration from other authors/books, of course! But this just almost felt like copy paste to me; Kings's assassin, blonde hair, both her parents that died, saving slaves,...And I don't mean this in any hateful way, and of course I don't know the author's writing process and how much was taken/inspired from another book or maybe not, and I don't want to be that person and hate to say it, but...I also can't sweet-talk it all. It was the major reason It didn't feel right for me to read further. I also struggled to connect with the fmc and the other characters as well. Arla felt forced and annoyed me multiple times; her constant arguments weren’t engaging or fun, but rather came off as juvenile. Hark, her love interest, simply argued back. However, there was something about this book that compelled me to keep reading, even though I wanted to put it down. Every time I was on the verge of giving up, the story pulled me back in. I try to give every book a fair chance, so I decided to keep reading.

About halfway through the story, we meet some side-characters, and I wish we could have seen more of them since they didn’t appear much, because I quite liked them. However, the plot starts to pick up, and I found myself quite hooked. Things became exciting, and Arla began to experience genuine character growth. As she started to realize certain things, she began to change for the better. She no longer annoyed me, I actually started to like her. Now the banter started to be fun, because she wasn't constantly arguing. And she stops feeling the need to stab anyone she meets along the way or to constantly choose for anger (although I get why she felt that way because of what happened to her). Instead, she becomes more thoughtful and vulnerable, slowly opening up to herself, to the world, and to Hark. Arla appears cold on the outside most of the time, but we soon see her inner struggles and insecurities, and her softer side. I understand Arla's behavior was shaped by her past, but I appreciated seeing the walls she had built start to crumble, and her ''i'm-the-kings's-assassin-mask'' fall off bit by bit. I started to appreciate her, and I began to see some pieces of myself in her. The way she started handling things was quite inspiring to me. The romance between her and Hark develops gradually alongside her growth and starts slowly building up, which I found lovely. However, I didn't feel their feelings for each other very convincing. I just didn't feel it, because their romance feels more told and sudden than that it feels genuine and real. There are some beautiful moments between them, and some quotes I annotated that I liked, and him calling her sweetheart, and then the revelation of his feelings and hers and how it all started and such and the gentle in-between moments, and I wanted so much to fall in love with them and their story, but aahh, It felt so forced instead. From I hate you to kissing to I have always loved you and then to I love you...I don't know, normally I would have really liked something like that, but I just didn't feel their chemistry so it all felt quite unnatural, unfortunately :(

I have to be honest: I was eagerly waiting for the dragon part of this book since I love dragons and would read anything with dragons in it. For a long time, there are mentions of dragons, but we don't get to see anything of them. Nearing the end, we finally meet one tho! Around the 70% mark, there’s a twist that sets off a bit of action. There's an epic scene, which was a beautifully written moment that was quite emotional. That specific moment is why I love romantasy so much, and it was also when I really started to like Arla, Hark, and Thara even more than I already did. Their journey is slowly coming to an end, at least for now, and I’m left with mixed feelings. The ending felt quite abrupt to me; I didn't expect I was reading the last page already. I wanted more! The story is definitely interesting, and promising, especially for a debut. I think the ending leaves room for a second book, which I would definitely read. Around the middle of the book, this book starts to stand on its own and becomes a bit more unique. I find this so difficult to review, because I liked the book, but also, the Throne of Glass similarities were still way too much for me, and ahh, I'm not sure. I didn't like that I was struggling so much to read further and had to push through until things started to get more exciting, but I'm happy I did tho, because I did enjoy the second half of the book. However, I'm still left with so many answers regarding to worldbuilding and plot. There are mentions of gods, but we never get to know anything about them and who they are. We don't get to know why ''the villain'' is doing the things he's doing, and so on. There's still lacking a few things. I don’t really think I see myself thinking about this book or the characters very often, but I am curious to the author's upcoming works and the other books set in these series!

Even though perhaps this wasn't completely my thing, that doesn't mean It won't be yours. I think you might like this one if you'd like:
🗡️ A slow burn, forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance.
🗡️ A strong FMC seeking revenge.
🗡️ Magic and dragons (and dragon-riding).
🗡️ Falling kingdoms and easy worldbuilding.
🗡️ Banter.
🗡️ A group of side-characters (not much appearing yet tho).
🗡️ Political intrigue.
🗡️ Character growth.
🗡️ Third person dual POV.

ˋ°•*⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins, One More Chapter, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the plot line but felt it could have been expanded out so that you felt more of an emotional connection to the main character. There were a lot of similarities to Sarah J Mass’ Throne of Glass series which could be a way to introduce similar readers to the book or may be a barrier, leading to too many comparisons.

A huge thank you to One more Chapter for providing the arc for me.

I was so excited for this, the premise reminded me of throne of glass as well as graceling - both books I have loved so much. This book tried so hard to be something similar, to have an epic enemies to lovers love story and high stake fantasy plot.

And it failed on both counts. I lost track of how many times we were told that Arla didn't care about anyone or anything, she was a ruthless killer, raised to be an assassin like no one else. And then despite all the times the book told this - Arla was nothing like it described. Arla was self centered childish idiot who remained me of a basic Mary Sue. I was so disappointed. In addition the world building in this book was severely lacking, and the plot seemed so black and white, more suitable for ya than a spicy romantasy book.

Speaking of which - Arla was way too young to be the FMC of spicy romantasy book. If I understood correctly she was 18, and yuck, I don't wanna read spicy scenes with a fmc who is basically a child. And to make matters worse - the love interest was twenty two. AND they met when she was sixteen... I almost dnf:ed when I realized this. She at least should have been older - it would at least make it believable that she is the king's assassin and not just a child.

And just to add, the fantasy elements were so lacking, and basically entered out of nowhere at 60%. not at all, what I was hoping.

1,5 stars, rounded up, which may be to generous

This feels like a YA version of Throne of Glass and not in a good way.
Maybe this book just wasn't for me, but I felt like I'd read it before. While there was a lot of potential in the story, the author seemed to assume that the reader would have a basic knowledge of fantasy books and therefore didn't feel the need to expand on the world. The main character is 18, yes, but she is acting 18. As in, how can the lauded King's Assassin be so successful when she's acting like a child. I never really got hooked and it was a slog to finish.

Dragonhart is romantasy with an enemies to lovers romance and a sprinkling of dragons.

Unfortunately, it was not for me. The main characters felt like caricatures, and I just did not care about the romance because it didn't feel real. It felt like it was ticking trope boxes; 'enemies' to lovers, forced proximity, 'who hurt you?' etc. in a way that didn't feel natural or developed.

Arla is an irritating protagonist. She is supposedly so strong, powerful and cunning. But she is utterly oblivious, stubborn and frequently stupid. She completely misses multiple heavy handed clues, seems to not notice things, and is caught off guard despite being an apparently incredible spy. Hark is the stereotypical cocky, arrogant guy who flirts and calls Arla sweetheart, but of course is doing the right thing under it all and just cares too much. He isn't as unlikeable, but still a caricature, and it was frustrating that all the vulnerability and weakness came from the FMC and almost nothing from the MMC. Supposedly they hated each other to make it enemies to lovers, and yet they're clearly obssessed with and fancy each other from the start.

The final nail in the coffin for me was the repeated sentence starters. The author seemed to like having 2-4 sentences in a row that all started with the same phrase, and whilst I can understand this sometimes for emphasis and flow, it happened far too often. "This was for..." x4 sentences in a row. "She wanted to..." x4 sentences in a row. "I can't pretend..." x3 sentences in a row. etc. etc. I wrote down many more in my notes and then just gave up. Once I started noticing it in the second half of the book, I couldn't stop seeing it. I might have been able to give this a 3 star rating and just say it's not my kind of fantasy and I'm not gelling with the characters, but not enjoying the writing style as well tipped me over the edge.

I am sure there is an audience for this as it is light and easy to read, and hits some of the tropes that people might be seeking out. The premise is interesting and I would've liked a bit more world building and lore to try and get into the fantasy side of the story. Romance/romantasy fans who just go with the flow and are happy to skim along the surface of a book without thinking too much, may enjoy this. There is one sex scene, but other than that it's not a particularly spicy book.

This book was confusing for me, and I don’t necessarily think I was the target audience. The FMC was hard for me to connect with from page one & made connecting with the story difficult. Thank you for the opportunity to read & review.

I was intrigued by the concept of this book and the fantasy-romance themes it promised. Arla is the assassin of a Kingdom rumored to be home to sleeping dragons. She is tasked with working with her enemy, an ambassador from the neighboring kingdom, to investigate missing trade shipments effecting both their kingdoms. Political intrigue, enemies-to-lovers, and teases of dragons makes up the premise of Abbie Eaton's debut novel.

However, I found it lacking in substance and romantic tension. The plot is overly simplistic, leaving a tedious trudge through to an ending that had all the right ideas, but sadly falling short of the execution.

The FML was a struggle to enjoy. Half of Arla's personality seems to be having dead parents. The other half is a contrary mix of "arrogant tough-guy" and "merciful savior." While I enjoy reading about flawed and multifaceted characters, Arla lacked the dimension needed to feel like a complete character. Her personal development didn't match well with the story progression. By the end of the book, she had a major leap when the dragons were introduced instead of the groundwork being laid for true character growth. In fact, all of the characters had a similar issue and often felt indistinguishable from each other. Their poor depictions created some dull dialogue and juvenile motivations.

I wish I could say the romance saved the entertainment value. Unfortunately, Eaton seemed to rely on the tropes audiences love, but without the substance behind the reasons why they're so popular. With no initiating event, Arla and Hark flip a switch and go from enemies to catching feelings. The back-and-forth tension and gradual buildup of emotion is completely absent. We do get the ever-beloved, "who hurt you?" but it comes at such an early point in their interactions as to feel wasted.

Overall, Dragonhart has some fun ideas with its fantasy elements and political scheming. The issues with the execution and characters, however, will leave readers disappointed.

4.5 stars. I literally read this in one day. Great pacing and the in a genre that is full of tropes, some good, some not so good, this book hit all the right ones in the best ways. I will be buying this for my libraries and for myself when it is released.

I am not a huge fantasy reader but this book was well-written enough that it held my attention. I think fantasy lovers with devour it

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the premise of this book, who doesn’t love a good dragon book? Unfortunately I’d say the first 3/4 of the book are dragonless and the story got a bit tedious. But the ending was amazing! I almost considered DNF at 50%

This is set to be a really fun dragon romantasy, but unfortunately for me this just fell a bit flat and really felt like trope stuffing. I understand that this is part of a series but the dragons came in a little too late for me and I felt the dialogue was a little lacking in substance, I couldn't really vibe with the FMC or MMC at all, which is super rare for me. Overall, I am super gutted I didn't love it as much as I wanted to.

As I do with all books that I don't vibe with, I take a break, and then come back to it a few days later. Which i did and managed to finish it but I don't think I am enthralled enough to carry on with the series.

However, I do feel that for some people this will be absolutely up their street and I think when it finds it audience, it will be a hit.

This is a great debut novel from Abbie Heaton. We are introduced to a world full of political intrigue, tension, the idea of magic and the rumours of dragons.

Arla Reinhart, our FMC, is the King's Assassin. Trained after a rival kingdom invade her own and killed her parents in the process. Hark Stappen, our MMC, is the ambassador from that kingdom.

They are tasked with working together to discover what is happening to shipments which are going missing and putting a stop to the thievery. They end up discovering a lot more along the way.

I enjoyed the dynamic between the characters and like that it was more of a slower burn and not an https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7415230080 attraction. I would say the romance was more of a subplot rather than the primary focus which is definitely the political landscape and movements of the kings in power.

I would say that I wish we got introduced to the dragons a little earlier but I can definitely see it adding to a sequel.

All in all I was entertained and would definitely recommend picking it up and giving it a try!

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the ARC!

Abbie Eaton's Dragonhart is a solid debut with a unique take on the typical fantasy heroine. I appreciated that Arla, the female main character (FMC) wasn’t confined to the standard trope of either a delicate princess or a hardened tomboy. Instead, she exists in a refreshing middle ground—comfortable in both an elegant gown and a battle scene. That balance added some depth to her character which I appreciated.

Arla's bond with the dragon was another highlight. Their dynamic was intriguing and full of potential, offering moments of genuine connection and awe. However, I couldn't help but feel like it came about suddenly in the story, lacking the gradual development and belief systems necessary to make it more impactful. A bit more time spent exploring different beliefs and anticipating that connection would have gone a long way.

Unfortunately, the same can be said for the romantic relationship in the book. The FMC and the male main character (MMC) had very little chemistry, and what was there felt underdeveloped. The spicy scenes, which could have added emotional intensity, came across as awkward and rushed instead. It made their dynamic hard to root for, and I found myself wishing for more meaningful interactions between them.

Another struggle I had was with the FMC's temper. While flawed characters can be relatable, her anger often felt disproportionate and underexplored. Understanding more about her backstory could have helped justify her reactions and made her emotional journey more engaging. Without that context, it was difficult to connect with her fully.

Additionally, the romance and character drama at times seemed to overshadow the plot. While the world-building and overarching story held promise, pivotal moments often took a backseat to the relationship drama. It left me wishing for a more carefully constructed narrative that gave the plot the space it deserved.

Overall, Dragonhart has the foundation of a great fantasy novel, but a bit more time spent fleshing out the characters and their relationships could have elevated it to the next level. I’ll be interested to see how Eaton's storytelling develops in future works!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC! <3

I really loved the premise of this and I do think the barebones of a great story are here but it just fell flat for me unfortunately. I did not connect to any of the characters at all and actually found Arla quite annoying!

I think one of my biggest issues was that there just wasn’t enough exposition and things were just flippantly mentioned with absolutely no elaboration meaning I just couldn’t buy into it. There were certain elements that made me feel a little bit like they were just there to tick the romantasy checklist which again may be linked to my lack of emotional connection.

I do think the author shows promise as I think the storyline has great promise!

Thank you to Netgalley and One more Chapter for the ARC in exchange for my opinions

I LOVED this book and if there isn’t a series, I will riot. But before rioting, let’s talk plot in layperson terms. Arla Reinhert is a badass, 18 year old personal assassin to the King of Hadalyn. Her parents died nine years ago when the kingdom of Kastonia stormed Hadalyn looking for dragons below the castle and killing anyone, including Arla’s parents, who got in their way. They didn’t find any dragons and there has been a (sort-of) peace since, but there is no peace for Arla. Arla is filled with rage, which makes her perfect for assassinating, but not great for letting people in.

She and Hark Stappen, the ambassador from Kastonia, are sent on a mission to Kastonia to find out why iron shipments keep going missing. Does she want to spend time with a man from the kingdom that killed her parents? Absolutely not. But this is her job, so they try to set their differences aside (not without continuing to bicker with and barb at each other) as they travel north. But once they get to the shipments, Arla realizes that it isn’t iron that is going missing and that there is so much more that she isn’t being told and doesn’t know. Oh, and maybe she hates Hark less than she thinks she does. It is all very confusing and very fun for the readers.

I loved the way that Abbie Eaton created this world. I sometimes get intimidated by fantasy when I can’t pronounce the names or there are 20 kingdoms to keep track of or the magic doesn’t make any sense, but this world was vivid and rich without being overwhelming. She also had an amazing ability to set scenes so that you could visually picture everything because of the richness of all of the amazing detail (honestly, I sometimes felt like I could smell it too).

This was the type of book that I was rushing back to so that I could keep reading (lunch breaks be damned). It was so engrossing and had many good chapter cliffhangers and twists that made it a page turner. There was a section in the middle that was a little slower paced for me but when we got back into the action, I was hooked again.

I loved Arla and Hark’s dynamic. They are two young adults trying to figure out their feelings for each other and about the world and their growth of enemies to partners felt really organic. Sometimes, they were both very stubborn in their beliefs (especially Arla) and that could feel frustrating but it made sense that she could want to hold on tight to her beliefs because they were what she could control and could latch on to after the trauma of her parents’ death. It was rewarding to see her start to adjust her beliefs even though I wished it had happened a tad bit earlier.

The ending of the book was super satisfying and I can see (and hope that there will be) a series in this world.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK/One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.