haletostilinski's Reviews > Dragon

⭐︎4.25 stars!⭐︎

As someone who didn't read the previous two books in the series, I think after a bit I was able to get the general gist of what had happened perviously and how Dragon - real name Chase - and Cove know each other and how their dynamic came to be.

I loved their chemistry. It was so good. It kept me reading, and then I just got immersed in this world.

Dragon seems pretty psychotic, but really he's just deeply, deeply broken and traumatized and being how he is now is how he's able to put one foot in front of the other. It's how he protects himself.

Cove understandably hates Dragon at first, though. In the beginning, we learn (if we didn't read the pervious book, I'm guessing) that Cove and his two sisters were taken by the same twisted fuck who took Dragon when he was only 16 and held him captive for two years and did unspeakably horrible things to him.

Dragon, who is older now - maybe 27, 28 I believe - was taken again by this sick fuck, who seems to have a hold over him, and in the beginning we see that he was forced to rape Cove, except Cove's older sister Stormy - the MC of the pervious book - stepped in and he raped her instead. Although to me, seeing as how Dragon was forced to do it, I see it more as the sick fuck raping them both, because both didn't have a choice. Stormy doesn't seem to blame Dragon in this, too. After they got out of the situation, Cove, Stormy and Cove's twin sister Calla was also taken in by the Royal Bastards MC like Dragon had been when he escaped the first time when he was 18.

But Cove, understandably, still seems to hate Dragon for it - and just for Dragon being Dragon. Cove might be more on the innocent side and still young - he's 19 in this, close to 20 - but he's got a mouth on him, and isn't afraid to stand up to Dragon.

But Dragon also apparently in the last book promised Stormy that he would look after Cove, so even when Cove wants him to leave him alone, he doesn't.

When MC business eventually leads to info on where Night Giant (the alias of the sick fuck) is, Dragon wants to strike. He's been waiting for his revenge for over 10 years. He has no qualms about making him suffer, either.

Also, because of what Dragon went through, he hasn't wanted to have sex with anyone since before he taken at 16. But with Cove, Dragon feels that attraction, lust and longing.

Cove makes Dragon feel more human, more normal. Which he hasn't felt in so long.

And Cove is a little into the danger that is Dragon, who is a BAMF but also, of course sexy AF. And as much as Cove loves to mouth off that he hates Dragon or doesn't want him, he really does.

Their sex scenes were hot, the chemistry was palpable, and I loved reading these two together. They did some slightly kinky stuff, but it didn't go too extreme.

Once these two started kissing and more with each other, I loved how they just became each other's...well, everything.

I was wondering how the book would show growing love between them, and overall it did it pretty well. With Dragon's walls upon walls, I wasn't sure we'd get there, but when he was alone with Cove, he showed a vulnerability and humanity he never really showed before. And then because of events later on, he was able to heal enough to let Cove more into his walls, and even say "I love you" to him.

If it's done well, I'm such a sucker for the "I only love you, but will fuck up anyone else, especially if they try to harm you in anyway" dynamic. Even though Cove is a sassy little fucker, he still isn't anywhere near on Dragon's level of intensity and fucked-upness, and even though he got annoyed or angry at Dragon's overprotectiveness of him, it was still hot AF when he fucked someone up who dared to mess with Cove.

My only reasoning for taking .75 stars off and thus rounding down to 4 stars, is that I wanted more of this. I wanted more of these two. It felt like it went by really fast, and while the plot was good and the characters were great, I just...wanted more. It didn't feel like enough of these two. I kind of wish we had gotten more of them just in the biker world doing biker things while being a couple.

I also wish the epilogue hadn't been focused on the next couple (especially when it's m/f sorry :/) and we barely got a sentence checking in on these two (at least they were getting hot and heavy? lol)

I'm just not a fan of an epilogue that doesn't focus on the main couple of the book, especially when I already felt like I hadn't gotten enough of these two. So, because of that, I gave .75 stars off and rounded down.

But overall, this was really good and I read it really fast, couldn't put it down. I didn't want it to end, too, which is always a good sign.

So I personally think this is worth a read, whether you've read the first two m/f books or not. Of course, heed the trigger warnings at the beginning and proceed with caution, because this does deal with very heavy topics like rape and torture and the trauma from that. It also doesn't skip out on some very gory scenes, with Dragon being the one doing the gory stuff. But if you're okay with reading that stuff, then definitely give this a try.

The chemistry alone, and connection between these two, is worth it. If there's one thing this author does well, it's that push and pull, enemies-to-lovers dynamic. Give me that snark and "hatred" followed by really hot, passionate sex that leads to love, mhmmm.

So a definite thumbs up from me. I wish this series had more m/m (or all m/m ;)) though. But this author is still primarily m/f, which is fine. I just gotta keep my eyes peeled for all the m/m goodies😁