by 
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through links on this site. Your purchases help fund my content and come at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
I don’t know what it is about gorgeous book covers, but I absolutely go feral when I see one as stunning as this. You guys, this is so beautiful – the colors, the characters, the way they look at each other. It’s breathtaking and I want to marry the illustrator – no joke.
If you’re the illustrator, please send me a message because I want to marry you. There’s no way someone who created such a beautiful illustration doesn’t have a heart of gold. I love it so much, and the book is just as amazing.
I already had a feeling this book would be cozy. I think I even read a review somewhere else before finally grabbing my own copy, but I was praying it would have at least a little spice. I love those spicy moments in fantasy romance, and this book more than delivered.
The relationship between the characters is the sweetest thing ever. Coming from someone who absolutely hates the friends-to-lovers trope, I was shocked at myself. This book is simply the most precious thing I’ve read in a long time.
Want to Read or Listen to Books for Free?
- Try Kindle Unlimited FREE for 30 Days! Read tons of bestselling books from your favorite authors without spending a thing. So many great stories just waiting for you!
- Listen to Audiobooks FREE on Audible for 30 Days! Enjoy the best audiobooks by top authors all for free for a whole month. No strings attached!
- Watch Movies FREE on Amazon Prime Video for 30 Days! Also love movies? You can stream some of the most popular and all-time favorite films totally free for 30 days.
This is a new-to-me author, but I’m going to fix that immediately. As soon as I get a chance, I’m ordering more of this author’s books. I really hope her backlist is just as impressive, because I haven’t fallen in love with a book this hard in ages.
The last time I felt this way was during my After phase, when I was literally doing book marketing for the series and couldn’t stop talking about it even when I wasn’t actively reading.
This book also thoughtfully includes trigger warnings at the beginning, which is amazing. I think more authors should do that, and I love that it has become an informal publishing practice.
Grab Your Copy on Amazon
There was a ridiculous debate a few years ago about whether content warnings should be added – what were people even thinking? Of course content warnings should be there.
Why wouldn’t you want your book to land in the hands of someone who will cherish and love it? Do you want to traumatize your readers? I’m sure you don’t. So please, add content warnings and this goes for anyone who still thinks they’re unnecessary.
Anyway, on to the story (and let’s pretend you didn’t just read through my usual rambling): our male lead, Cyprus, is a dragon, and I don’t know why, but every male lead in a dragon monster romance I’ve read recently has been the absolute cutest.
I haven’t come across one where the male dragon lead is grumpy – maybe I should, because at this point, my brain seems to believe all dragons are cuddly, cozy, and sweet, even though they can definitely be a bit more terrifying than many other monsters.
Our male lead here is a very sociable, extroverted dragon who is literally all over the place. He’s a playboy and he avoids commitment until he falls in love with his very good friend.
The female lead, Kaya, is a human who came to the monster realm (called “across the veil” in the book) with her brother after a tough upbringing. She runs a bakery and is the sweetest, most innocent, naïve, and introverted person. They are complete opposites, and they’re both fully aware of their differences, but they’re also fully aware of how strongly they’re attracted to each other.
One thing I absolutely eat up in romance novels is mutual attraction. That is the hottest thing and I’m saying it right now. The hottest characters can ever be is when they’re clearly attracted to each other, and it’s even better when they know it.
Grab Your Copy on Amazon
In this book, while they are aware of their attraction, each of them knows they probably can’t give the other what they want. He fears he can’t offer her a stable life, and she knows she might not be able to give him the adventurous lifestyle he craves. That tension is what keeps them from leaping into each other’s arms whenever they’re together, but trust me, the chemistry is fire. All puns intended.
We get to watch them fall in love over the course of the book, and it’s just so sweet. It’s not a very long book, and it’s told in dual POV. You might remember my rant about my annoying experience reading a single POV, first-person romance novel – spoiler: I hated it, so I made sure to confirm this was dual POV, and thankfully it was.
One thing I’ll say about this book is that there is a lot going on. So many elements are at play at every moment; the characters are never just sitting around with their feelings. I actually think that’s important in a friends-to-lovers romance because the characters already know each other well, so there need to be other things pushing them to see each other in a new, romantic light.
I didn’t mind it at all – the book is busy, but still incredibly cozy, and I will always recommend it.
This book has everything: a talking cat, multiplying baking recipes, lovable side characters, and a world I would love to step into.
From the information in the front and back matter, this is actually a book by the alter ego of Alisha Klapheke and I am very embarrassed to say I haven’t read her work before, but I’m definitely going to fix that after this experience. How many times can I call this book beautiful? Take a shot every time I do.
Now that I’m done, I absolutely want to read everything else this author has written. I think I’ve become unhinged lately, as I’ve said a million times: monster romance novels are my jam – it’s all I’ve been reading, and I can’t complain.
These books are everything. I’ve also read a good number of romantic fantasy novels, and if you want to check out the new romantasy releases coming in 2025, you should definitely check out my other post where I listed my most anticipated ones.
In case it isn’t obvious, I really, really loved this book. I think everyone should read. I love cozy, fantasy books, and this one is exactly what I needed. It scratched an itch I didn’t even know I had, and I would absolutely reread it again in a heartbeat.
Grab Your Copy on Amazon
