Romance Book Review: Dragon Actually

Author: G.A. Aiken
Series Connection: Book 1 in the Dragon Kin series
ISBN: 978-1420103731
Genre: Paranormal/ shifter
Publisher: Zebra

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Hearing that Annwyl the Bloody and Fearghus the Destroyer are the names of the hero and heroine in this story should be your first clue that Dragon Actually isn't a silly little romance, but actually a no holds bar story line. G.A. Aiken's normal brash and hysterical style runs through this book as it does when she writes under her Shelly Laurenston name.

Dragon Actually tells the story of Annwyl, a warrior who is working to up seat her brother as king. She almost meets her end when Fearghus finds her in his dragon form. Taking her in and caring for her Fearghus learns that there is more the Annwrl than just an insane warrior.

Fearghus has his own reputation to live down. He doesn't mind as it keeps everyone far away from him. When he meets Annwyl his is completely bedazzled by her and doesn't have any idea why he would set out to help a human of all things. By day in his human form and by night as a dragon, Fearghus gets to see all side of the very complicated Annwyl.

Annwly has no idea that the knight she trains with and the dragon she is coming adore are one and the same. She desires the knight, but really isn't sure she likes him at all. He pushes her while helping to train her to control her anger so she can defeat her brother. The dragon soothes her, but can she actually love a dragon.

Fearghus fears what will happen when Annwyl learns the truth. He should, because he has seen what Annwyl is like in a rage and how she earned her name. There is lots of blood and gore and a lot of laughs through this brash, but action filled novel. This novel was previously written as a short for Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication in November 2008 under the name of To Challenge a Dragon.

The end of this book also has a short story about how Fearghus's mother and father met in Flames and Chains.

Description:
It's not always easy being a female warrior with a nickname like Annwyl the Bloody. Men tend to either cower in fear-a lot-or else salute. It's true that Annwyl has a knack for decapitating legions of her ruthless brother's soldiers without pausing for breath. But just once it would be nice to be able to really talk to a man, the way she can talk to Fearghus the Destroyer.

Too bad that Fearghus is a dragon, of the large, scaly, and deadly type. With him, Annwyl feels safe-a far cry from the feelings aroused by the hard-bodied, arrogant knight Fearghus has arranged to help train her for battle. With her days spent fighting a man who fills her with fierce, heady desire, and her nights spent in the company of a magical creature who could smite a village just by exhaling, Annwyl is sure life couldn't get any stranger.

She's wrong...

[And just wait until you meet the rest of the family...]