#and Olenka...she would be reading a good book you know if she could but for her complicated relationship with the 'HERO'

[cinemaocd]

I love you Helena, I love you Olenka, I love you Basia...the blonde ladies of Trylogia...I love you...

[cathygeha]

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon

by Kerrelyn Sparks

The Embraced #3

 As I began to read the introduction and backstory to this book I began to smile remembering the two books that preceded this one. Yes, I smiled :) Why? Because books like these remind me of the fairy tales I read as a child BUT these are all grown up. There are princesses and dragons, trolls and elves, magic and mysteries, romance and oh so much more…they are fun tales filled with adventure and action and friendship and quests with evil thwarted and a hook for the next book in the series. When I finished I thought, “Hooray! There are at least two more books to read before this series ends!”

 So, what is the story about? It is about five young women who are “embraced” due to what was happening in the sky when they were born. Each one has a talent that some consider a curse. They were all sent away and raised together away from the general population and became closer than blood sisters. Two of the sisters have had their stories told and two remain but in book three, this one, Gwennore meets her mate. Gwennie is an elf and her love is a dragon shifter…and what a story theirs is!

 Who wouldn’t want to meet and be saved by a dragon? Who wouldn’t want to feel needed and loved and cherished? Who wouldn’t want to be able to do something good for a people that were in need of her skills? And, who wouldn’t want to find their own true love? Silas and Gwennore are a match made in the heavens and their story made me smile when I read the last page, too :)

 Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 4.5 Stars

EIGHT SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING A DRAGON:

The Embraced Series

By Kerrelyn Sparks

Published by St. Martin’s Paperbacks

**On Sale March 27, 2018**

Mass Market Paperback | $7.99

ISBN: 9781250108258 | Ebook ISBN: 9781250108265

 For more information or to set up an interview with the author, contact:

Brittani Hilles at brittani.hilles@stmartins.com or 646-307-5558

BLURB:

Kerrelyn Sparks is no stranger to the New York Times bestseller list, as her massive fan base couldn’t seem to get enough of her Love at Stake series. Sparks then introduced her extraordinary fantasy romance series, The Embraced, with How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days and So I Married a Sorcerer. Set in a medieval mythical world, the series follows a special group of people with powers born when the two moons of the world form an eclipse. Now comes the captivating third installment, EIGHT SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING A DRAGON (St. Martin’s Paperbacks; March 27, 2018), where readers meet Gwennore, our fierce and powerful new heroine.

 Gwennore is an Elf able to track down the cause of an illness and heal it; a valuable asset to her people. But when she is thrust into the realm of the dragons, she discovers a haunted place of power and magic, plagued by an ancient curse. And then she meets the smoldering General Silas Dravenko. She’s been raised never to trust a dragon, but never did making a deal with the devil feel so good…

 Silas has no way of saving the royal family he’s served for years. But when a beautiful elf comes bursting into his world, Silas is awakened to desire in a way he’s never felt before. But can he trust a sworn enemy?

 Filled with romance, adventure, and a vividly imagined new world, EIGHT SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING A DRAGON is a fantasy in the vein of Game of Thrones with all the fun of The Princess Bride. Audiences will become enthralled with Gwennore in a world where passion, fantasy, and royal intrigue collide. Return to the most exciting, magical and romantic series to come along in years in the stunning world of the Embraced!

EXCERPT:   Chapter Three

 As the three men came to a stop, Gwennore noted that the ladies-in-waiting were curtsying, so she did, too.

Karlan bowed. “My lord general.”

“At ease,” the gorgeous man in the middle said.

Freya rushed to his side. “Silas, you arrived just in time. I’ve discovered an assassin.” She pointed at Gwennore. “You should arrest her!”

Gwennore popped up from her curtsy, ready to defend herself. But before she could say anything, the general had enveloped the queen’s hand in his own and turned her away.

“Your Majesty.” He flashed a smile that caused a few of the ladies to stumble as they rose from their curtsies. “I came as quickly as I could after hearing the news. May I congratulate you on the birth of your daughter?”

“Why, yes.” Freya blushed. “Thank you. I was in labor a dreadfully long time, you know.”

“Yes, so I hear.” He patted her hand. “But thank the Light, you and the babe are doing remarkably well.”

What nonsense was this? The gorgeous general was acting like the others—playing along with the queen’s delusion. Gwennore drew in a deep breath to voice her

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon                39

objection, but the general shot her a warning look with his sharp green eyes.

When she lifted her eyebrows as if to question him, he inclined his head ever so slightly. He’s asking me to trust him. It was as clear as if he had spoken. For a moment she wondered if she was experiencing a mental connec- tion with him like she had with Puff.

Don’t jump to conclusions, she chided herself. She was only hoping for a connection because he was the most handsome man she’d ever met.

Something flared in his eyes, a spark of gold in the em- erald green, and her knees grew weak. Good goddesses, was she about to swoon like these other silly women? She needed to be stronger than this.

“Thank you, Silas,” Freya said, drawing his attention back to her. “Doesn’t the baby look just like her father?” “Yes, indeed.” The general glanced at Eviana, who was still clinging to Gwennore’s legs. “And to mark the occa- sion, I have brought you a gift.” He motioned to Gwennore. “A nanny. As you can see, the princess has already

developed a special fondness for her.”

Freya gasped. “You brought the elf here?”

“Of course.” He gave Gwennore a wry look as if he was daring her to contradict him. “She’s a noblewoman I captured some time ago in battle, but since then, she’s learned our language and proven herself quite useful.”

So General Gorgeous had no problem spinning lies or manipulating a madwoman. Gwennore snorted. But since she was in danger of being imprisoned and even exe- cuted, she was not in any position to reject his solution.

Even so, she wondered if she could actually trust him. As the general of the Norveshki army, wouldn’t he see her as an enemy?

“We dare not trust an elf,” Freya muttered. “She could be a spy. Or an assassin.”

40                            Kerrelyn Sparks

“We can trust her,” the general insisted. “Lady Gwennore cares deeply for the princess. Enough to risk her life for her.”

Gwennore’s heart lurched into a fast pace. He knew her name? And what she’d done? Puff must have told him everything that had happened. That meant General Gor- geous could hear dragon voices, too. It made sense, she figured, since his job would require him to communicate with dragons. But did that mean he had ordered the first dragon to kidnap Eviana? Or perhaps, he had ordered Puff to try to stop the kidnapping. Which side was he on?

“But elves are such violent creatures,” Freya whined. “They are fierce warriors, that is true,” the general

agreed. “That is why Lady Gwennore will make an ex- cellent nanny. No one will protect your daughter as well as she.”

“Well . . .” Freya looked confused. Her hands fluttered around her chest, causing the rubies to sparkle in the after- noon sun. “I suppose we can give her a try.”

“Excellent.” He turned toward Karlan. “You and your men may return to your posts.”

Gwennore exhaled with relief. She wasn’t going to the dungeon. And as the official nanny, she could remain close to Eviana.

“And remember.” The general stepped closer to Karlan and added softly, “Lady Gwennore is my guest. She will be treated with respect.”

“Yes, my lord.” Karlan motioned for his men to follow him back to the main gatehouse.

With Gwennore’s superior hearing, she’d heard the general’s whisper. He had to be on her side. For one thing, he kept referring to her as a lady. The status of noble- woman would shield her from any physical abuse during her stay here in Draven Castle.

So, most probably, she had two allies in Norveshka—

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon                41

Puff and General Gorgeous. She could only hope they would both prove to be trustworthy and honorable.

The general turned to the nearest lady-in-waiting. “Your name, please?”

The woman stumbled back a step. “O-Olenka, my lord general.”

“Lady Olenka, would you please escort Lady Gwennore and the princess to the nursery? And make sure they are well taken care of.”

“Yes, yes, of course, my lord general.” Olenka nodded, then curtsied again.

“I’ll drop by to check on you later.” The general shot a pointed look at Gwennore. “Till then.”

Gwennore inclined her head, understanding he in- tended to have a talk with her. That was fine. She needed to talk to him, too.

“Oh, everything will be perfect, my lord general! You can trust me.” Olenka motioned for Gwennore to follow her. “Come along now.”

Gwennore lifted Eviana in her arms and walked toward Lady Olenka. As she passed the queen, she bowed her head. “Good day, Your Majesty.”

Freya narrowed her eyes. “If anything happens to my daughter, I’ll have your head. I will not lose another child!”

Another child? How many had the queen lost? “I will protect her with my life,” Gwennore told her, then fol- lowed Lady Olenka toward the northwestern tower.

As she neared the general’s two companions, she noted there was a slight difference in their uniforms. One had three brass stars embedded in his leather breastplate, while the other had two. Did that mean they were officers? The general had four stars on his breastplate.

These men were handsome like the general—tall, mus- cular, long dark hair. No doubt they knew how to make a

About the Author

Kerrelyn Sparks is best known (so far) for the Love at Stake series, which has hit as high as number 5 on the New York Times list and 22 on the USA Today list. Visit Kerrelyn on Facebook, Twitter, or her website, http://www.kerrelynsparks.com/.

MORE:

Praise for Kerrelyn Sparks:

“Readers will be fully invested in this Embraced series!”

— Romantic Times on How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days

 "Readers will relish Spark’s lovingly detailed and memorable tale and look forward to the next.”

— Booklist on How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days

 “[Sparks] has produced a book that I'll come back to again and again. I'll be counting down the days till the next girl gets her story.”

— Night Owl Reviews on How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days

 "A deeply satisfying, delightfully swoon-inducing close...full of vulnerability and tenderness."

— Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire

 "Mixing paranormal romance with humor, Sparks clearly has a style all her own, one that readers love."

— USA Today's Happily Ever After blog

 "Sparks skillfully infuses her writing with a deliciously sharp wit."

—

Booklist

“As with Sparks’s previous books, a tangled plot resolves with ease after the efforts of the determined lovers and their friends. Fans of Sparks’s lighthearted romances will feel right at home here.”

—Publishers Weekly

  “Each story in the Embraced series gets better and better! In this third installment, Sparks weaves a magical fantasy world, filled with paranormal characters that will make you nostalgic for those bedtime stories from your youth.”

—RT Book Reviews

  “The Embraced series will not let you down! Just like in book one, there is a layered heroine and hero, and supporting characters whose lives add to the story and humor. Set in the past, the series has a decidedly fantasy slant that is easy to follow, which makes this delightfully fun to read. Readers are gifted with a well-executed read with kings, dragons and pirates.”

—RT Book Reviews on So I Married a Sorcerer

  "The second in Sparks’s Embraced fantasy romance series (following How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days) is a lively tale of pirates, intrigue, sorcery, and lost heirs...the story charges along at a rapid pace, and Sparks’s characters are witty and full of life. Her latest should satisfy historical romance fans who are ready for a little magic."

—Publishers Weekly on So I Married a Sorcerer