Title: Luck of the Dragon
Author: Susannah Scott
Series: Las Vegas Dragons
Genre: Paranormal romance
Published: 2013
Rating: 4 stars
Dr. Luciana De Luca is a respected gemologist, in demand for her expert appraisals of gems and jewelry. She’s worked hard to put her family’s less-than-respectable past behind her. Except Joey, her twin brother, and his gambling addiction keep dragging her back….
Casino owner and King of the dragons Alec Gerard knows that Dr. De Luca was invited to his Las Vegas casino to appraise his brand new exhibit. So why has she palmed his keycard? And why does he feel such a primal connection to the human female? Surely she can’t be his destined mate—can she?
Luck of the Dragon is the first in Susannah Scott’s Las Vegas Dragons series, a series that definitely shows a lot of promise. I have read a lot of paranormals, but not many about dragons, and I am intrigued by the world that Ms. Scott has built here. She doesn’t spend too much time getting us bogged down in the details of that world, though, which is nice—we learn what we need to know gradually. Not everything is explained, but as this is first in the series, I’m assuming we’ll learn more as the story continues in other books. (I’m really looking forward to the next book, which has the amusing title of Stop Dragon My Heart Around—plus, the hero looks like Chris Hemsworth—bonus!)
This was a fun read. It had a really strong beginning. There was a lot to have fun with in Ms. Scott’s writing…like Lucy and Alec’s first time down in his vault, when he’s clearly attracted to her and she knows she needs to keep her distance:
Lucy scowled. “Let’s get something straight. I’m not interested in your private collection of obscure etchings…or anything else private you might have.”
“How do you know? The reviews on my, what did you call them…etchings are quite flattering.” Alec watched her face, liking the way heat flushed her pale neck, and her brown eyes snapped with annoyance.
“I am a gem appraiser. That is it.”
“But etchings can be so very stimulating.” Alec brushed her arm again, feeling the warm tingle in the tips of his fingers.
Alec’s wooing of his mate–once he decides she is his mate–was very steamy and sexy. Lucy didn’t believe him the first time he told her what he was—she thought he was role playing. It made for a very amusing—and hot—scene.
“You need to know that I am a dragon.”
Lucy’s jaw dropped, and a feeling not unlike the elevator vertigo made her wobble on her heels. “A dragon…”
“Yes.” Alec smiled, looking relieved. “I am a shape-shifting dragon. But, I have a human form.” He motioned to his body with both hands. “When we make love, it could be very intense.”
Lucy stared at him with her mouth open. He seemed sane. Her brain tried to process the information logically.
Alec Gerard thought he was a dragon…
Seriously?
Or was this some rich man’s way to push the envelope on sex?
“You want to role play as a dragon?” Lucy stepped toward him. She could try that, she guessed. Intellectual curiosity squeezed her brow, and she thought through what she knew of dragon myths. “Am I the medieval maiden then? Or am I the dragon, too?”
Alec laughed. The sound was low and mischievous, and it send a fresh cascade of anticipation through her body. “Definitely the maiden.”
All good stuff. Toward the middle of the novel, though, Lucy’s single-minded determination to “save” her brother got to be a bit much—Joey obviously didn’t appreciate it, nor did he deserve her devotion. At the beginning of the book I could understand her wish to save him, but once she finally bought into her emotional connection with Alec the fact that she was still okay with stealing from him to help her loser brother got to be a bit much. She eventually sees the error of her ways, thank goodness, though it does happen kind of abruptly. Still, it was a relief when it happened.
The novel too ended a little suddenly, but knowing that there are more to come that will continue the story helped. Not all the questions about the dragons and their ability to survive and thrive in Vegas were answered, so I’ll be on the lookout for book two for sure. The author’s website says “coming soon”, so fingers crossed….
In a nutshell: fun read, with only a few issues. I’m looking forward to the next book. 4 stars for entertainment value and series promise.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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