*** 4 ‘Not All Gems Are Stones’ Stars***
Grigori is a thousands of years old dragon shifter who is happier sitting in his library reading a book than heading out into the hustle and bustle of Moscow. What surprised me the most about Grigori, which stems from reading quite a few shifter PNR, was while he had the alpha thing going on, it never took on an overtly aggressive vibe. He was commanding, but calm and logical and that was kind of a turn on. Madelyn is, for lack of a better term, a nerd. She is happiest in a library surrounded by millions of stories than anywhere else. And despite her need for safety, her passion has dropped her in Moscow, one of the worlds biggest cities, without a safety net. I like how Madelyn came out of her shell as the story progressed and she found out more than she bargained for.
As for their romance. Ms. Smith did state in her GR review that it was insta-lust and things happen quickly, and they did, but I had no issue with it because this is PNR and in most, things happen quickly once the shifter catches the scent of its mate and Ms. Smith did it very well with Grigori and Madelyn. While they were extremely attracted to each other, they did get to know each other and that aspect was just as important and the physical. The little twist in their journey was an interesting one, I did figure it out when it was initially mentioned, but I like how it all came full circle in the end.
This is only my second read by Ms. Smith, my first was The Shadows of Stormclyffe Hall, and as with the first one, I really enjoyed Grigori. The writing was engaging and I like how we were tossed into the story right away. The world is a simple one to understand, but has a well established history that I found fascinating, especially the connection with the Romanov’s, and I’m definitely looking forward to learning more about Rurik and Mikhail when their books drop.
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
Grigori Barinov is the eldest in an ancient line of dragon shifters and the guardian of his family’s lands and fortune. Sworn to protect their history and magic, he won’t rest until he neutralizes any threat to their existence. When he discovers an ancient manuscript that exposes his family and their dragon lineage has fallen into a mortal woman’s hands, he knows he must get the book back by any means necessary. If that means seducing a nosy American woman with an intoxicating scent, he is more than willing to carry her off to his palatial home deep in the heart of Russia.
She’s the one woman who could expose him to the world…
Madelyn Haynes has never fit in. As an adopted child she grew up in a loving home but never felt as though she belonged. Plagued by mysterious dreams she’s had of a silver scaled beast ever since she was a little girl, she is convinced dragons are real. While in Russia working on her PhD in mythology in order to escape the ridicule from fellow professors, she unexpectedly crosses paths with the sexy and dominating Grigori, and after just one night with the man whose eyes seem to burn, she starts to change inside. Isolated in the Russian wilderness Grigori calls home, Madelyn can’t help but fall under his sensual spell, yet something deep inside her calls out that she can’t trust him. She has to show the world dragons are real to salvage academic reputation, even if it means costing her the heart of the dragon she’s falling in love with.
Release Date: October 3rd, 2017
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