Name: Heart of the Dragon
ISBN: 9780373770571

Gena Showalter

While deep in the jungle, searching for her missing brother, Grace Carlyle, stumbling upon a secret world rife with magic and mythological monsters, comes face-to-face with a shape-shifting warrior who, despite his vow to kill all who enter this realm, casts a spell on her heart, uniting their two worlds. Original.

Heart of the Dragon

Lover of Romance 

In search of her missing brother, Grace Carlyle goes searing for him in the Amazon jungle, not knowing that her search for him is about to become much more complicated than ever. After getting lost, she finds her way into a cave, and then through a chain of events face to face with Darius en Kragin, the leader of the Dragons. As guardian to the portal of Atlantis, he knows through past experience, how dangerous it is to let a human enter their realm. However there is something about Grace that is different from other humans, something tha intrigues him more than ever. He knows his duty is to kill her at some point, so there is no danger to those that he protects, however as time passes, and events occur in which things get intense and much more complicated his feelings for this woman keeps getting stronger, and he asks the question "Could I ever kill her?" Even though he knows he is falling in love with her, the one who holds the key to his heart.

As I had only read Nymph King in the Atlantis Series, I desperately wanted to read Darius and Graces story. I also love reading love stories of dragon shifters. So this one is right up my alley of some of the most enticing reads that I couldn't put down!!! Darius, being leader of the dragons, and having feeling hardly anything at all, he finds himself at a loss when he sees color and feels the strongest emotions whenever he is within her reach.
Grace loves her brother dearly, and after she gets lost in the jungle she comes face to face with a fierce stranger, that treats her more like a suspect than a innocent. However she desperately wants to find her brother, alive and well, and as things progress, she knows that she wants Darius with her for all time. I truly fell in love with this story, although I think I like Nymph King a bit better, it did come close to tying for me. There was so much intensity about this story that was portrayed so realistically, it was like the story was coming alive. It definitely met every expectation that I had for this book, and I honestly have no complaints about it. I think I love this series much more than the Lords of the Underworld one, just because its a much more magical and fun series. Apart from the vampires and dragons trying to kill each other off, it was a close to perfect love story, when all the right amounts of wit, romance, excitement and passion that I look for in a great romance read!! I would definitely recommend this book and this series to everyone that like love stories under and above the sea!!!

Bethany Lacey

Link to Blog: http://laceysloveofliterature.blogspo...

I love Gena Showalter. She's one of my fave authors of this year. I've read so many books by her these past few weeks and this one was one of my faves.

Heart of the Dragon was amazing. I absolutely loved this book. I loved Grace. She was an amazing, strong-willed, loyal heroine. I loved how Grace was your normal average, every-day woman. She didn't feel special, or unique, but there's a man out there who does see her as special, beautiful, and one-of-a-kind. And for Grace that was Darius, for very own alpha-male man like in her novels that she reads and dreams about.

I fell head over heels in love with Darius in this novel. I loved the fact he was a badass dragon, his castle, his army, and how much he loves and adores Grace. I always have a soft spot for the guys who feel no emotions, and then one girl makes him feel the whole world - I especially loved how Darius was content in his adoration and fixation on Grace. I just really loved Darius and Grace as a couple.

I also loved the side story with Alex and Teira. I really loved this couple as well. So sweet and lovely.


  


I really loved this book, the first of the series. I will definitely be going to read the others.

Kristen

Overall, I liked it well enough. It was interesting and different from what I've been reading lately. 

I've never read a book by Gena Showalter before. I know she's a huge name. I tried to read her YA novel, Alice in Zombieland, but too much about the first four chapters of that book rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn't keep reading without cringing and sighing. Not a good sign for me. I love everything I read for the most part. So, anyway, I already wasn't too keen on this author after that.

This series caught my attention, and I went ahead and read this book despite the plethora of one-star and two-star reviews proclaiming everything wrong with it. 

I didn't have a problem with the plot except that I felt the world's development left a little something to be desired. While this novel takes place primarily in New York, I wanted a picture of Atlantis painted for me to picture. Instead I got little snippets, bits and pieces of races and palaces and lands. Very little was solid and concrete. And the "final showdown"? Quite anti-climactic. 

The other big thing that bothered me was the storytelling. As a writer myself, I've been preached "Show, don't tell" until I think it in my sleep. While there were some aspects of this novel that showcased the author's talent, too often I felt like my hand was being held through the story where the author was just making sure I got what was going on before moving on.

I still enjoyed the romance, despite the cliche of the emotionally detached, wounded man finding himself healed by the pure, innocent little virgin. It was cute, and the thing about cliches is they're tried and true. I'm convinced a cliched romance will win out over an original one every time. And the original ones that win become cliches themselves. 

Again, overall I enjoyed the book and I will be reading the second in the series. I pretty much devoured it; I think I read it within three days during finals week, so that's an accomplishment. I would recommend this to anyone else reading urban fantasy or paranormal romance, or just looking for a light, fun little paranormal read.

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads.


I need to preface my review of Heart of the Dragon by saying I really wasn't into the idea of this book or the whole "fated mates" thing going in. (No offense to anyone who reads PNR. I just didn't think it was my jam.) If you've followed me for any length of time on any bookish or social platform, you know I'm a contemporary romance reader. In fact, before this year I'd never read any PNR. (Well, outside of YA books and I don't think those really count in this instance.) I was apprehensive going in, but I took this recommendation from a friend and went with it. And you know what? I really enjoyed it. 

I'll admit, it did take me a little while to get into Heart of the Dragon. I'm not accustomed to a lot of world-building in my books, so that was different for me. Plus, sexy dragons who tend to kill humans? Ok. I was out of my depth initially. But all that said, after a few chapters I was totally hooked. Couldn't even wait for more audiobook time and finished it in eBook hooked. That's a pretty good sign. Darius and Grace's story was excellent and I totally "get" the fated mates thing now. I also understand the appeal of sexy dragons. I'm not sure when I'll make the time to continue on with this series, but I plan to do just that.

Favorite Quotes:

Failure to act against her would mean breaking his vow and surrendering his honor. But hurting her would mean obliterating the last shreds of his humanity.

"To you I belong. My heart beats only for you. No other will tempt me, from this day and beyond. To you I belong."

Melissa Railey

Madelen Ehlis

Raya

Nohemy Avalos

arianna

Aurelia Dennis

Michelle Xu

valentina 🕯️

Samantha Emery

Ariella

Before The Lords of the Underworld, there was Gena Showalter's Atlantis series. Rediscover this mythical world of immortals, magic and dark seduction… Searching for her missing brother, Grace Carlyle never dreamed she would discover a secret world populated by mythological monsters—or find herself facing a sword-wielding being whose looks put mortal men to shame. But there he was, Darius en Kragin, one of a race of shape-shifting warriors bound to guard the gates of Atlantis, and kill all travelers who strayed within its borders. Now Grace's life was in his hands, and Darius had to choose between his centuries-old vow and the woman who had slipped beneath his defenses and stolen the heart of Atlantis's fiercest dragon. Look for the rest of Gena Showalter's Atlantis series: The Amazon's Curse, Jewel of Atlantis, The Nymph King and The Vampire's Bride, available now. Originally published in 2005