Arthur MacArthur needs a
job, and not just for the money. Before he dropped out of school to
support his younger sister, he loved being a research assistant at the
university. But working for a dragon, one of the rarest and least
understood magical beings, has unforeseen complications. While Arthur
may be the only applicant who isn’t afraid of Philbert Jones in his
dragon form, the instant attraction he feels for his new employer is
beyond disconcerting.
Bertie is a brilliant historian, but he can’t find his own notes without help—his house is a hoard of books and antiques, hence the need for an assistant. Setting the mess to rights is a dream come true for Arthur, who once aspired to be an archivist. But making sense of Bertie’s interest in him is another matter. After all, dragons collect treasure, and Arthur is anything but extraordinary. |
"Arthur had two distinct impressions; one, that the dragon was smelling him, the way reptiles scented the air, and two, that the dragon found him amusing."
This book was so sweet I actually had a silly grin on my face part of the time. I'm surprised how much I enjoyed it - now a new favorite in my m/m shelf.
Cheesy cover aside, the slow build-up of the relationship kept me glued. Awkward Arthur was immediately endearing when he stumble walks into Bertie's house for an interview as an assistant. They weren't struck with lightning bolts, but they were struck with something better. Exciting, sweet, flirty, uncertain, hard to put down, heart melting relationship.
The relationship stays that way most of the book, taking it's time. When the two finally admit their feelings and get together, it's smoking.....several pages long with a little dominance. Well worth the tense wait.
I dug the dragon mythology tying into the story line, including the little notes left behind by Bertie and how it cleverly comes together later. It makes it more than a simplified romance and gives it further layers.
The author's style was more than competent and I like how she doesn't over focus on the cop-out of just having sex scenes everywhere, letting the book hold itself up with just plot for the majority of the time. I'll definitely check out more of her stuff.
A top favorite of this genre. The review is a bit short but there's not much to say other than it should be read by fans of the genre - this pair is epic.
