Release Day Review: Dragon's Hoard by M.A. Church (Giveaway)

Title: Dragon's Hoard

Author: M.A. Church

Release Date: October 1, 2017
Category: Paranormal: Werewolves/Shifters, Fantasy: Urban Fantasy, Dreamspun Beyond
Pages: 234

Dreamspinner Press  ~  Amazon

To be loved by a dragon is to be treasured.

A hundred years ago, werewolf Alpha Montgomery took a risk driven by desperation—he borrowed money from the ancient dragon Warwick Ehecatl, putting up the pack lands as collateral. Now the debt is due, and dragons don’t forget—or forgive. Warwick demands Montgomery’s son, Avery, and three businesses as compensation. As an Omega, Avery knows he is basically useless to his pack, so he might as well agree. He soon has second thoughts, though. Warwick is fearsome, and he’s free to do as he likes with Avery.

Warwick knows his race’s reputation, and he even admits some of it is deserved. But he’d rather cut off his tail than let his innocent mate’s light go out. It won’t be easy, but buried deep, there’s something between them worth safeguarding.

4.5 Stars!

A sweet tale of fated mates who discover a love they never could have imaged.

Avery is an Omega and while Omegas are treasured amongst their kind, Avery longs to be more than the fragile creature he's supposed to be. He's not weak and he has a stubborn streak and a sometimes sassy mouth. He's not your typical spoiled Omega. So when his father, the pack's Alpha announces that Avery will need to mate in order to save the pack and to a Dragon nonetheless, Avery doesn't know what to feel. He longs for romance and love, something he's not sure a Dragon could ever provide.

Warwick is a centuries-old Dragon Shifter and a sort of paranormal loan shark/businessman. When Alpha Montgomery comes to him looking for a huge loan Warwick didn't expect the man wouldn't be good for it a hundred years later when the debt comes due. Pissed that the Alpha seems to think he will be able to put Warwick off, the Dragon visits his home. He doesn't expect to find a gorgeous Omega wolf that has his Dragon practically tripping over its tongue. Now, it seems the Alpha has something Warwick wants more than money and when a dragon set its sights on something it wants, nothing will be able to stop it.

You'd think from the premise of the story that this would be overflowing with angst and drama, maybe some bloodshed and tears. However, this really wasn't that type of read. Instead, a Dragon's Hoard was a sweet and funny love story about a wolf and a dragon who turn out to be mates. There are maybe one or two moments of angst concerning Avery and his "forced/arranged" mating but even that doesn't last long. After all, both Avery and Warwick figure out pretty fast that they are mates.

There are a whole lot of funny and cute moments in this story though. I think that's one of my favorite things about MA Church's Shifter/paranormal books. I adore the way the characters are so alive, they jump from the pages. The way she captures their animal personalities is so perfect, I love them.

My only problem with this story, the reason why it is 4.5 Stars instead of 5 is for lack of conflict. While I love sweet and I love romance, I also love drama and angst. I need my stories to have something to cause me to get anxious for what's going to happen next. Unfortunately, I didn't get that here. I kept waiting for the drama, for a fight or some tragedy. I waited for some arguments or angst. It didn't happen. While I wanted a bit more, I still would highly recommend Dragon's Hoard.

***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.***

4.5 Stars!!!

I loved Avery, despite him being much younger than Warwick, he was pretty mature and didn't let Warwick, a much more powerful and older dragon shifter, overrule him. He held his own pretty well against his huffy, puffy dragon, LOL. I adored Warwick, even when he jumped to conclusions sometimes in regards to Avery and got all pouty. They were so sweet and hot together, though. I adored the progression of their relationship and how patient and loving Warwick was with Avery and how Avery reciprocated that love in spades. 

Dragon's Hoard was such a sweet, feel-good shifter story. It was well-written, interesting and engaging, my only complaint and it's just a personal preference, really, is that I would've liked the book to have had a bit more of conflict or angst to counteract the sweetness. I was waiting for something bad to happen and I was actually a bit disappointed when it didn't. That doesn't mean that it was bad, just that I was expecting something more. Still, I loved the book and can't recommend it enough.  

***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

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