Review: How to Date a Dragon

How to Date a Dragon (Flirting With Fangs - Book 2) by Ashlyn Chase

Publication Date: 09/03/2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Casablanca
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 352
ISBN-10: 1402275722
ISBN-13: 978-1402275722

(Received for an honest review from Sourcebooks Casablanca)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

Ashlyn Chase on the WEB: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads

Books in the series:

Flirting Under a Full Moon (2013), How to Date a Dragon (2013)

Coverart: Click the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from How to Date a Dragon, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

Let the Sparks Fly

Bliss Russo thought nothing exciting ever happened in her life. Until her building caught on fire and she had to be carried out of the flames in the arms of a gorgeous fireman. Sure, her apartment is now in shambles and she'll have to start her huge work project completely from scratch. But at least her love life is finally looking up...if only she can find her red-hot rescuer again.

Dragon shapeshifter Drake Cameron is the last of his clan, and the loneliness is starting to claw at him. He's met only one woman who might be able to stand the shock of his true nature. After all, she barely batted an eyelash when her home burned down. And feeling her curves against him was just as hot as the inferno. Just when he thinks he'll never track her down, she walks into his firehouse—with no idea what she's about to get herself into...

Thoughts:

Ashlyn Chase is a master at the lighter side of the paranormal world. How to Date a Dragon is the second book in the Flirting with Fangs series and shows off Chase's humor to it's full extent. Her voice is a bit snarky and full of sarcasm and will keep readers on their toes and chuckling under their breath. Chase has a knack for writing zany characters that grab a readers attention and hold it. With everything from greeting card competitions, a very hot firefighter and a nasty she-dragon, this book will appeal to readers who like their paranormal elements light and their romance hot and spicy.

Ashlyn Chase is a paranormal writer who doesn't dabble too far into the dark nature of that world. She keeps her dragons, werewolves and vamps a little more on the light side. Using humor and madcap situations Chase is able to tell her stories about some creepy characters without the fear factor. Readers looking for less gore and more fun will love her style and approach to writing. How to Date a Dragon is certainly no exception to that rule. This book is full of moments where the reader will find a grin on their face or a light laugh bubbling to the surface. Ashlyn Chase probably has a snarky sense of humor that just won't quit.

Chase doesn't shy away from the sexy side of things in her books either. Most of them are pretty hot and steamy but the Flirting with Fangs series is still mainstream and not what I would consider erotic romance. In How to Date a Dragon, how could our hero not be hot? He's a firefighter and a dragon shifter. The attraction between Drake and Bliss is electric from the get go and readers will definitely feel the heat. Bring a fan, and a cold drink... you're gonna need it!

Drake is the last of his clan and he needs to find a female dragon shifter to continue his line, but he isn't having any luck. He even resorts to an online dating service in his search. He finds Zina, but she isn't exactly a walk in the park and he continues to think about a young human woman he managed to pull out of fire, Bliss. What's a guy to do? Go with the psycho-she dragon or the beautiful, but snarky greeting card designer. What follows is an interesting story with an underlying theme.

Drake wants to be accepted for who and what he is. He's the only one of his kind and he's lonely. I thought Chase did a fantastic job of letting the theme of acceptance weave through her writing so subtly that readers just get an overall sense of well being and understanding when it comes to Drake's situation. It wasn't overpowering and didn't take away from the overall zany experience that Chase is trying to create for the reader. It was just a nice piece of fluff that readers may not have been expecting. 

I loved Bliss. She was a real character. She is focused. She knows what she wants and who she wants, and that's the sexy firefighter who got suspended for going into a burning building to save her computer. Though the damage was done, Bliss is more than a little grateful. I liked her snarky disposition and her dry, sarcastic humor. She had me rolling with some of her greeting card work. I would definitely buy those. Though I did think she was a bit self centered on occasion, Drake seemed to really go for that raspy side to her personality. It worked!

Chase does add in a lot of different characters in this series as she does in most of her books. There are new characters in How to Date a Dragon, but there are also returning characters from the first book in the series and even some throwbacks to Chase's Strange Neighbors series. It may be a little bit hard for some readers to follow because there are just so many people. But I don't consider that a big flaw. This is an excellent book and I can't wait to see what Chase comes up with next...

How to Date a Dragon is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Ashlyn Chase has been a registered nurse for 20 years. During those years, she wrote articles for professional journals and a thesis, but eventually, thank goodness, discovered the joy and freedom of writing fiction.

Ashlyn considers herself lucky.  Her degree in behavioral sciences is a combination of psychology and sociology, so she has worked with and studied people most of her life.  She never has to write out exhaustive character sketches to understand her characters or predict how they will behave.  That doesn't mean they don't surprise her.  Sometimes they take her on grand unexpected journeys.  For her, it gives "character driven novels" a whole new meaning.

Ashlyn has learned to go with the flow.   To enjoy the journey is not only one of her writing goals, but also a challenge in life so she tries to follow where the story takes her.  As such, she has lived in 17 different places over the years. At last, she's all settled down and comfy in New England.

Is there a grand design or do we decide our own fates?  Perhaps if the powers-that-be have a plot, then they also give us the right to revise it.  Ashlyn has certainly made detours on her path, but she thinks she's better for it.  She's having fun at any rate and hopes that if she enjoys the journe y,so will those around her—including her readers.