The Dragon's Bride (A Deal with a Demon Book 1)
by Katee Robert
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: March 29, 2022
Format: eBook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Trinkets and Tales LLC (Self-Published by Author)
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: March 29, 2022
Format: eBook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Trinkets and Tales LLC (Self-Published by Author)
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I’m a big fan of Katee Robert’s Dark Olympus and Wicked Villains series, so I was curious once she announced her latest series, A Deal with A Demon. I’ve never read a monster romance book before, so I had no clue what to expect going into The Dragon’s Bride. I ended up reading it in one sitting, and now I’m hungry for more (October is so far away and so long to wait for the release of the next book).
Briar is in a bad situation, with a husband that's abusive and seemingly has no way out. With nothing more to lose (except her life), she makes a desperate deal with a demon. A way out of her relationship and freedom from her abusive husband, all in exchange for seven years of service. Seems straightforward enough - however, instead of the hard labor Briar is experiencing she is auctioned off to become the bride of a dragon. Will she end up falling for him (like all the other parties involved hope), or will it be a long seven years till she returns to the human realm? Well, you’ll have to read to find out (no spoilers here) - it’ll be well worth your time though (and it's a short read at around 180 pages, so not too much of a commitment).
Briar and Sol’s relationship is heartwarmingly sweet, and it was a pleasure to read about. Briar is dealing with some past emotional trauma from her abusive relationship, and Sol does take that into account with their interactions. It took me a bit to warm up to things (I was still very unsure about the “monster/human” relationship at the start of the book), but once I did I was invested and had to see things through to the end. Like many of Ms. Robert’s other books, this story is very character-driven as opposed to plot-driven. One of my favorite components of the book was being able to see Briar’s journey and growth from the first page to the last.
Sol (and many of Ms. Robert’s other lead characters, like Jafar in Desperate Measures or Hades in Neon Gods) are absolute consent kings, and I love that. Even when they are “playing”, it is always made clear that things can stop at any time should one involved party want to. On a slightly related note, I was quite pleasantly surprised that all of the contracts Azazel brokered had specific clauses that required everything to be consensual, and for his “contracted humans” to not be harmed. I’ve read other books where deals with demons are made, and I’ve never seen that included before. I hope it makes an appearance in future books.
Overall, The Dragon’s Bride was a sweet and steamy romance read. If you’re a fan of Ms. Robert’s other books, then you should definitely check this one out. It’s a great start to a new series, and after this, I’ll likely be reading similar books in the near future (maybe the Ice Planet Barbarians series I’ve been hearing so much about?) I’m looking forward to reading The Kraken’s Sacrifice once it comes out later this year, and I’m crossing my fingers that one of the unannounced books will cover Azazel and Eve’s relationship (I have so many questions after the teasers the author dropped in this book).
Trigger warnings (courtesy of author’s page): domestic abuse (historical, off-page, but the heroine is dealing with the aftermath of getting out of that relationship), murder (off-page), human/non-human sex, size difference, explicit sex, breeding, pregnancy (epilogue)
About the Author
Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.
Katee is represented by Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.
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