I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Must Love Dragons
by
Stephanie Rowe
paranormal romance in Paperback edition that was published by Warner Books on November 1, 2006 and has 342 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Kiss at Your Own Risk, Touch If You Dare, Date Me, Baby, One More Time
Second in the Immortally Sexy paranormal-romance series set in New York City. The couple focus is on Theresa Nichols, a shape-shifting dragon, and Zeke, an ex-dragon slayer.
My Take
This just got lame. Yeah, bits were still funny. My imagination goes wild trying to envision an 11-foot winged dragon wearing a miniskirt, lacy bra, and see-through blouse.
But for the most part, Rowe has us rocking back and forth like a tiny boat in a massive storm between Zeke needing to kill, to lust. Wanting to help his former dragon team recover Alex’s wife but not at Theresa’s expense. Then there’s Theresa and her schizoid teetering between gotta be a dragon, gotta be a human, gotta be with Zeke, hate Zeke, gotta save Mona. Then Iris makes me nuts with her jerking Satan around…yeah, it’s so bad, I actually feel sorry for the guy.
For some reason, Satan’s dialog in this story is irritating as opposed to funny. You’d think Satan’s English would be a bit more sophisticated instead of this “just off the boat” phrasing.
I suspect I’ll be writing this series off.
The Story
Justine and Derek are off on their honeymoon and left her with Derek’s absentminded brother. Who has forgotten she exists! She needs food. She is gonna burn something or someone up if she doesn’t get some food!!! And the anger just gets worse and worse until Theresa cracks and decides to make a deal with Satan to lose her dragon form so she can get back out into the world. A truly necessary deal as Zeke is threatening to walk unless she meets him.
Only Theresa is so hot to be human that she forgets to forge her deal with care, leaving her wide open — and Satan is sooo going to enjoy himself. It is what he does best.
In all her cockiness, or should that be dragonness?, Theresa figures she can handle whatever Satan dishes out. The dummy. Meantime, she’s gotta rush to make that date with Zeke.
A date that shatters all her dreams. For Zeke was actively hunting her. For a client who had a sketch of her. A sketch Lyman drew just before he tried to kill her. Then the assassin strikes and the truth of Theresa’s dragon form puffs up, driving Zeke the former dragon slayer wild with lust and the need to kill.
But too much temptation comes Satan’s way and Iris’ leverage suddenly drops away even as Theresa discovers — too late — the many loopholes she’s left in her contract.
The Characters
Theresa Nichols is a shifter trapped in her dragon form 180 years ago when she drank from the Goblet while she was a dragon. Now, she’s a frustrated, pretzel-hooked female whose only sexual outlet is online with Zeke. Mona is the Goblet and, luckily, able to shapeshift into different forms to protect herself. A further safeguard is that she can only be handed over voluntarily by the Guardian or her backup.
Zeke Siccardi is a dragon slayer trying to reform. Alex, Marcus, and Rathe are a dragon-slaying team and old friends of Zeke’s. Someone has kidnapped Alex’s woman. To get her back, Alex must slay Theresa and Alex is calling in the blood debt Zeke owes him.
Lyman Peressini is a childhood friend and lover of Theresa’s. A dragon. He’s finally managed to drag himself up from his lousy neighborhood and away from his crappy parents, fulfilling his nature. Now he wants Theresa back in his life. He wants to own her. And he’ll do anything to get her.
Reverend Munsey has his own television show preaching to the masses and Satan wants on. Zeus is a corrupt businessman doing a deal with Satan. Percy Adams is a defense attorney and a Massachusetts senator…uh-huh, I’m believing this combination…hired to get Theresa out of jail for killing the Reverend Munsey.
Becca is Satan’s Rivka, a collector of souls. She’s also friends with Justine and Derek, Quincy, and soon she’s one of Theresa’s new best friends. She’s also Derek’s vice-president at Vic’s Pretzels. She hates her demonic job wishing she could just concentrate on Derek’s pretzel empire and she’s always looking for loopholes.
Iris Bennett is a dead Guardian currently living in Purgatory, BUT working her way up to Heaven by rewriting the Guardian manual. Seems Justine made a good point in Date Me, Baby, One More Time about the whole sexual abstinence bit and the Council has asked her to revise it. The Council consists of Jerome the pirate, business guy, and “moses”.
Satan has got the hots for Iris. For over 200 years he’s been trying to get back in her pants, and he’ll do anything to make her happy. So he can get happy.
Xavier, Justine and Derek DeValle have a cameo appearance (see Date Me, Baby, One More Time). Quincy DeValle is Derek’s twin and a mathematician suffering from terminal obsession. He’s supposed to be babysitting Theresa. Ya know, the dragon who needs to eat but can’t go out in public or accept home deliveries???
The Cover and Title
The cover is orange flames with cartoon legs in fishnets and over-the-knee black suede boots that lace up the front. A swirly red skirt covers the top of those legs with a green tail curving from behind. A knife at her belt.
The title is something of a command. That one Must Love Dragons, and it’ll take a whip and chair to make me love it.
